Pale shining brown moth (Polia bombycina)

Pale Shining Brown
Pale Shining Brown

Pale shining brown moth fact file

Pale shining brown moth description

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderLepidoptera
FamilyNoctuidae
GenusPolia (1)

Adults are pale reddish-brown in colour with slightly paler hindwings and a shiny appearance, hence the common name (3). The caterpillar has a pale brown back, becoming greener towards the underside (3).

Size
Wingspan: 4.7- 5.2 cm (1)
Top

Pale shining brown moth biology

The Pale Shining Brown is a single-brooded species, the adults of which are on the wing from mid-June to mid-July. The precise details of the life history of this moth have yet to be elucidated in the wild, however the caterpillars will feed on dock, dandelion and other herbaceous plants in captivity (1). It is likely that the overwintering stage is the caterpillar (1).

Top

Pale shining brown moth range

The Pale Shining Brown moth was once widespread in England south of the Severn and the Humber, however it has been recorded from just 20 sites since 1980 (2) and is now recorded with any regularity from just two or three localities (4). A greyish form occurs occasionally as a migrant into south-east England (5). It is known from most other European countries (2).

You can view distribution information for this species at the National Biodiversity Network Gateway.

Top

Pale shining brown moth habitat

This species is predominantly found on scrubby grassland sites, typically with calcareous soil (2).

Top

Pale shining brown moth status

Classified as Local in Great Britain (2).

Top

Pale shining brown moth threats

The reasons for the decline of the species have not yet been identified (2).

Top

Pale shining brown moth conservation

The Species Action Plan for the Pale Shining Brown moth, produced as part of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) aims to maintain the current known populations and enhance these by 2010. Suggested action includes increasing the amount of suitable habitat available at occupied sites and linking fragmented sites. Survey work and research into the causes of the decline and habitat needs of the species have also been proposed (2).

View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

There may be further information about this species available via the National Biodiversity Network Gateway.

The UK Biodiversity Action Plan for this species is available at UK BAP.

Top

Find out more

Further reading on moths:
Leverton, R. (2001) Enjoying Moths. Poyser, London.
Skinner, B. (1984) Moths of the British Isles. Penguin Books, Harmondsworth

Top

Authentication

Information authenticated by Sean Clancy.

Top

Glossary

Calcareous
Containing free calcium carbonate, chalky.
Single-brooded
(also known as 'univoltine'). Insect life cycle that takes 12 months to be complete, and involves a single generation. The egg, larva, pupa or adult over winters as a dormant stage.
Top

References

  1. Skinner, B. (1984) Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles. Viking Press, London.
  2. UK BAP Species Action Plan (December 2001). http://www.ukbap.org.uk
  3. South, R. (1961) The moths of the British Isles. Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd., London.
  4. Clancy, S (2003). Pers. comm.
  5. Atropos7: 30, Plate 1.

More »Related species

White-line snout moth (Schrankia taenialis)Sandhill rustic moth (Luperina nickerlii leechi)Marsh moth (Athetis pallustris)Buttoned snout moth (Hypena rostralis)Four-spotted moth (Tyta luctuosa)Double line moth (Mythimna turca)Fisher's estuarine moth (Gortyna borelii lunata)Heart Moth (Dicycla oo)

Please donate to ARKive today

Help us share the wonders of the natural world. Donate today!

Sign up to our newsletter

Get the latest wild news direct to your inbox.

Get involved

ARKive relies on its media donors to donate photos and videos. Can you help? There are plenty of other ways you can get involved too!

X
Close

Image credit

Pale Shining Brown  
Pale Shining Brown

© Paul Waring

Paul Waring
Windmill View
1366 Lincoln Road
Werrington
Peterborough
PE4 6LS
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 1733 571 917
paul_waring@btinternet.com

X
Close

Link to this photo

ARKive species - Pale shining brown moth (Polia bombycina) Embed this ARKive thumbnail link by copying and pasting the code below.

Terms of Use - The displayed thumbnail may be used as a link from your website to ARKive's online content for private, scientific, conservation or educational purposes only. It may NOT be used within Apps.

Read more about

X
Close

MyARKive

MyARKive offers the scrapbook feature to signed-up members, allowing you to organize your favourite ARKive images and videos and share them with friends.

X
Close

Terms and Conditions of Use of Materials

Copyright in this website and materials contained on this website (Material) belongs to Wildscreen or its licensors.

Visitors to this website (End Users) are entitled to:

  • view the contents of, and Material on, the website;
  • download and retain copies of the Material on their personal systems in digital form in low resolution for their own personal use;
  • teachers, lecturers and students may incorporate the Material in their educational material (including, but not limited to, their lesson plans, presentations, worksheets and projects) in hard copy and digital format for use within a registered educational establishment, provided that the integrity of the Material is maintained and that copyright ownership and authorship is appropriately acknowledged by the End User.

End Users shall not copy or otherwise extract, alter or manipulate Material other than as permitted in these Terms and Conditions of Use of Materials.

Additional use of flagged material

Green flagged material 

Certain Material on this website (Licence 4 Material) displays a green flag next to the Material and is available for not-for-profit conservation or educational use. This material may be used by End Users, who are individuals or organisations that are in our opinion not-for-profit, for their not-for-profit conservation or not-for-profit educational purposes. Low resolution, watermarked images may be copied from this website by such End Users for such purposes. If you require high resolution or non-watermarked versions of the Material, please contact Wildscreen with details of your proposed use.

Creative commons material

Certain Material on this website has been licensed to Wildscreen under a Creative Commons Licence. These images are clearly marked with the Creative Commons buttons and may be used by End Users only in the way allowed by the specific Creative Commons Licence under which they have been submitted. Please see http://creativecommons.org for details.

Any other use

Please contact the copyright owners directly (copyright and contact details are shown for each media item) to negotiate terms and conditions for any use of Material other than those expressly permitted above. Please note that many of the contributors to ARKive are commercial operators and may request a fee for such use.

Save as permitted above, no person or organisation is permitted to incorporate any copyright material from this website into any other work or publication in any format (this includes but is not limited to: websites, Apps, CDs, DVDs, intranets, extranets, signage, digital communications or on printed materials for external or other distribution). Use of the Material for promotional, administrative or for-profit purposes is not permitted.