BELTED BEAUTY |
LYCIA ZONARIA ssp. Britannica |
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ADULT: Wingspan - 28 - 35mm. Males are distinctly marked and have a striped, furry thorax. The wings ground colour is white with various brown veining being prominent. Females are flightless and can only crawl short distances during their entire life. The females wings are approximately 2mm in length. Both sexes have black and yellow striped bodies that are covered in numerous white hairs. A very distinctive moth with the males having obvious feathery antennae. CHRYSALIS: Located in soft sand and overwinters in this stage. LARVA: Located near its foodplants such as clover, birds-foot trefoil and kidney vetch. BEHAVIOUR: Flies by day and usually found at rest on grass and posts. HABITAT: Coastland grasslands and dunes. FLIGHT PERIOD: Late March to mid-May. STATUS: In Britain the Belted Beauty occurs in coastal locations in western Scotland, northern Wales and North West England. |