Chortodes morrisii

Chortodes morrisii, or Morris's wainscot, is a moth of the family Noctuidae.

Chortodes morrisii
Form bondii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Superfamily:	Noctuoidea
Family:	Noctuidae
Genus:	Chortodes
Species:	C. morrisii
Binomial name
Chortodes morrisii (Dale, 1837)
Synonyms
Acosmetia morrisii Dale, 1837 Photedes morrisii Nonagria bondii Knaggs, 1861 Tapinostola bondii Tapinostola sohn-retheli Püngeler, 1907 signata Otto Sohn-Rethel, 1929

It is found in western and southern Europe.^[1][2][3] In Britain it is limited to Devon and Dorset, while the form bondii, previously occurring in Kent, is thought to be extinct.

Technical description and variation

For a key to the terms used, see Glossary of entomology terms.

A. morrisii Dale Larger than (Photedes extrema), chalk white, with faint grey dusting towards termen in the males; a curved series of black vein spots represents the outer line; no marginal spots; hindwing dark grey, paler in female; the fringe white; the abdomen is longer and thinner, the pectus and palpi smoother, less woolly, than in extrema.^[4] The wingspan is 26–34 mm.^[2]

Biology

The moth flies in June and July.

The larvae feed on stems of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea).^[5]

Subspecies

• Chortodes morrisii morrisii
• Chortodes morrisii sohnretheli (Püngeler, 1907) (Italy, named in honour of Otto Sohn-Rethel)
• Chortodes morrisii bondii (Knaggs, 1861) (named after Frederick Bond)