True Lover's Knot
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| Lycophotia porphyrea Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775 |
The True Lover's Knot (Lycophotia porphyrea) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found throughout Europe wherever its food plants grow. It is traditionally thought of as a species of heathland and moorland but it can often be found in places where heather and its relatives are in garden cultivation.
This is a small but attractive species, with a wingspan of 26-34 mm (individuals hatched in higher altitudes tend to be smaller than those from the lowlands). The forewings are brown, often tinged with purple and marked with a complex pattern of white markings which are supposed to recall a true lover's knot. The hindwings are grey or buff. It flies at night from June to August and is attracted to light and the flowers of its food plants.
The larva is reddish-brown with pale lines and feeds on heather and related genera (eg Erica). The species overwinters as a larva.
- ^ The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.
[edit] References
- Chinery, Michael Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe 1986 (Reprinted 1991)
- Skinner, Bernard Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles 1984
