Deep-brown Dart

Aporophyla lueneburgensis

This record describes Aporophyla lueneburgensis (species). Recorded family: Noctuidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.

Identification and Appearance

Deep-brown Dart - Aporophyla lueneburgensis

Wingspan 36 to 44 mm. A very dull brown moth sometimes with rather inconspicuous markings, but with very white underwings. A taxonomic review established that Aporophyla lutulenta is the same species as Aporophyla lueneburgensis . The adults are on the wing between August and October, and come to light. The larvae feed on grasses and bushes such as Hawthorn. There is currently some debate about whether this species and the Northern Deep-brown Dart are in fact separate species, and whether both occur in the British Isles. In the past, the current species was thought to occur south. In a recent survey to determine the status of all macro moths in Britain this species was classified as common.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Aporophyla

Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.

Habitat and Range

Habitat

Various habitats.

Seasonal Activity

The adults are on the wing between August and October, and come to light.

Diet and Behavior

Life History

The larvae feed on grasses and bushes such as Hawthorn.

Additional species information

Recorded status

There is currently some debate about whether this species and the Northern Deep-brown Dart are in fact separate species, and whether both occur in the British Isles. In the past, the current species was thought to occur south. In a recent survey to determine the status of all macro moths in Britain this species was classified as common.

About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group

Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Aporophyla lueneburgensis. Species-specific details appear above.

Group overview

Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.

Ecological role of the group

Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.

Economic and practical significance of the group

Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.

Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.

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