Ctenoplusia accentifera is a moth of the family Noctuidae and is found in Africa, Asia and Europe. It was first described, in 1827, by the French entomologist Alexandre Louis Lefèbvre de Cérisy, from a specimen found in Sicily.
Technical description and variation
P. accentifera Lef Forewing dull pinkish grey dusted with darker, and with irregular olive brown patches; lines pale; inconspicuous; the inner oblique outwards to median vein, then waved inwards, followed by brown patches; outer line lunulate, between two brown shades, interrupted below middle by a large brown blotch; a brown blotch from apex, a triangular one below middle of termen, and some small patches along subterminal line, which bears a black white-edged tooth between veins 2 and 3; the mark below median inconspicuous, yellowish grey, laterally finely edged with silvery, oblique and parallel; hindwing brownish, with dark outer line and broad smoky fuscous border. Larva green, with white dorsal and double white subdorsal lines; spiracular white, less conspicuous in front, yellower behind; tubercles black with long hairs.Warren. W. in Seitz, A. Ed., 1914 Die Großschmetterlinge der Erde, Verlag Alfred Kernen, Stuttgart Band 3: Abt. 1, Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen eulenartigen Nachtfalter, 1914 The wingspan is about 25 mm.
Biology The larvae are known to feed on water mint (Mentha aquatica), horse mint (Mentha rotundifolia) in Europe. Also found on vervain (Verbena species), and Cineraria, Coleus and Cichorium species.
Distribution It is found over most of Africa, the Azores, southern Europe (from Portugal to Greece) and the Lebanon. A rare migrant, there are two British records; the first in September, 1969 at Halstead, Kent and the second in October 2014 at Exmouth, Devon.
Gallery
References
External links Fauna Europaea Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa Lepiforum.de