The Dun-bar

Cosmia trapezina

This record describes Cosmia trapezina (species). Recorded family: Noctuidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.

Identification and Appearance

Wingspan 25-33 mm. A variable species, with the ground colour ranging from ochreous-yellow to dark brown, with a varyingly contrasting band on the forewing. However it is distinctly different from the other British Cosmia species, and not difficult to identify. The moths fly from July to September and come to both light and sugar. Larva polyphagous on various broad-leaved trees and shrubs including Elm, Oak, Birch, Blackthorn, Hawthorn, Hazel, Willow and Field Maple. They are also well-known for their cannibalistic tendencies towards larvae of other moths, and to their own species in captivity. In a recent survey to determine the status of all macro moths in Britain this species was classified as common. It is commonly distributed over much of Britain. 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: Cosmia

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

Habitat and Range

Habitat

Woodland, gardens and hedgerows.

Seasonal Activity

The moths fly from July to September and come to both light and sugar.

Diet and Behavior

Life History

Larva polyphagous on various broad-leaved trees and shrubs including Elm, Oak, Birch, Blackthorn, Hawthorn, Hazel, Willow and Field Maple. They are also well-known for their cannibalistic tendencies towards larvae of other moths, and to their own species in captivity. In a recent survey to determine the status of all macro moths in Britain this species was classified as common.

Additional species information

Recorded status

It is commonly distributed over much of Britain. 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 Cosmia trapezina. 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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