Cornutiplusia circumflexa

Cornutiplusia circumflexa, the Essex y, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found from Italy to Greece, southeastern Europe, southwestern Russia, the southern parts of the Ural, Africa, Canary Islands, Arabia, southwestern Asia, Ceylon, from India to Nepal, southeastern China and Japan.

Essex y
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Superfamily:	Noctuoidea
Family:	Noctuidae
Genus:	Cornutiplusia
Species:	C. circumflexa
Binomial name
Cornutiplusia circumflexa (Linnaeus, 1767)
Synonyms
Phalaena Noctua circumflexa Linnaeus, 1767[1] Noctua circumflexa (Linnaeus)[1] Plusia circumflexa (Linnaeus)[1] Autographa circumflexa (Linnaeus)[1] Phalaena circumflexa Noctua lunata Plusia graphica Plusia patefacta Plusia reticulata Syngrapha circumflexa (Linnaeus)

Technical description and variation

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

S. circumflexa L. (= daubei Frr. nec Bsd., graphica H-Sch, patefacta Walk.) (64c). Forewing grey, suffused with fuscous in median and terminal areas; inner and outer lines pale, double, with dark brown centre: the inner oblique inwards below middle, obscure above; the outer, also oblique, irregularly lunulate dentate, slightly mangled on vein 2 and the fold below it, followed by a pale grey band which broadens towards costa; subterminal line irregularly dentate and flexuous, preceded by a dark fuscous shade and black wedge shaped marks; stigmata pale grey, with first dark, then pale lustrous outlines; median vein pale; the subcellular mark broad, bent at rigid angles in middle, its centre pale brown, edged first with dark, then with whitish yellow; hindwing smoky brown, with broad blackish terminal border.^[2] The wingspan is 34–50 mm.

Biology

The moth flies year round depending on the location.

The larvae are polyphagous on various cultivated plants especially vegetables (such as potatoes) and on numerous wild plants (Solanaceae, Fabaceae, Cruciferae)