Dysgonia algira, the passenger, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1767 and is found in the Palearctic - from the southern half of Europe and parts of North Africa through West, Central and South Asia.

Dysgonia algira
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Erebidae
Genus: Dysgonia
Species:
D. algira
Binomial name
Dysgonia algira
(Linnaeus, 1767)
Synonyms
List
    • Phalaena algira Linnaeus, 1767
    • Noctua triangularis Hübner, [1803]
    • Ophiusa albivitta Guenée, 1852
    • Ophiusa festina Walker, 1858
    • Ophiusa olympia Swinhoe, 1885
    • Grammodes algira var. europa Schawerda, 1912
    • Grammodes algira f. defecta Stauder, 1923
    • Parallelia algira sinica Bryk, 1949
    • Dysgonia achatina Sulzer, 1776
    • Dysgonia defecta (Stauder, 1923)

Technical description and variation

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O. algira L. (= achatina Sulz., triangularis Hbn) Forewing brownish fuscous, with a purplish tinge when fresh; a whitish median band narrowed in middle, edged inwardly by the erect but slightly outcurved inner line, outwardly by the similarly incurved median line: outer line acutely angled outwards on vein 6 and bluntly bent between veins 3 and 4. then sinuous to inner margin near median line; a black apical streak of two spots; the terminal area violet grey: hindwing fuscous, with a diffuse whitish median band: the terminal area grey at middle: fringe grey, below apex whitish; the ab. mandschuriana Stgr.[ now full species Dysgonia mandschuriana (Staudinger, 1892) ] is more uniformly purplish or slaty grey, with the median band only slightly paler, not white. Larva yellowish grey, darker on dorsum, with tine black longitudinal lines; venter and feet pale grey; spiracles black; head yellowish grey.[1] The wingspan is 40–46 mm.

Biology

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The moth flies from May to August depending on the location. The larvae feed on Rubus and willow.

References

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  1. ^ Warren. W. in Seitz, A. Ed., 1914 Die Großschmetterlinge der Erde, Verlag Alfred Kernen, Stuttgart Band 3: Abt. 1, Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen eulenartigen Nachtfalter, 1914  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
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