Biology
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The Scarce Merveille du Jour is single-brooded (2); the adults fly at night (3) between early June and mid-July. The caterpillars feed on oak and are active between July and early September, and the pupal stage overwinters amongst the leaf litter (2).
Conservation
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A Species Action Plan has been produced for this moth under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP). This aims to maintain the range of the Scarce Merveille du Jour. One occupied site is a candidate Special Area for Conservation (SAC), and one is a National Nature Reserve (NNR). A programme of monitoring has been proposed, and conservation action taken for the Light Crimson Underwing (Catocala promissa) and the Dark Crimson Underwing (Catocala sponsa), which inhabit lowland oak woodlands, may benefit the Scarce Merveille du Jour (1).
Description
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The Scarce Merveille du Jour is an attractive moth, which has green coloured forewings with white and black patches; the hind-wings are a dusky grey colour with white patches towards the lower edge (3). The caterpillar is black with yellow or white blotches, and tufts of white or brown hairs protruding from reddish warts (3).
Habitat
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This moth is mainly associated with mature pedunculate and sessile oak trees (Quercus robur and Q. petraea) in semi-natural ancient woodlands within a range of 80 km of the coast (1).
Range
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Strongholds exist in Wiltshire, Hampshire and West Sussex. In addition, some colonies occur in East Sussex, Cornwall, Devon and Kent, but it seems that the species has become locally extinct in Suffolk and Essex (1). Elsewhere, this moth has a wide European distribution, and reaches north into Sweden (1).
Status
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Classified as Rare in Great Britain (1).
Threats
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Main factors contributing to the decline of this species include the clearance of oak woodlands and inappropriate woodland management, in which mature oaks are not replaced (1).
Associations
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Animal / parasitoid / endoparasitoid
larva of Compsilura concinnata is endoparasitoid of larva of Moma alpium
Moma alpium
provided by wikipedia EN
Moma alpium, the scarce merveille du jour, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in the Palearctic realm.
Technical description and variation
D. alpium Osb. (= orion Esp.) (2c). Forewing blue green, the costa and both folds white: stigmata and lines black; outer hue with brown outer border; hindwing fuscous, with black and white marks at anal angle. In the form murrhina Grues. (2c), from Western Asia, the green of the forewing is much more broken up by black markings between the lines, and the brown shade beyond outer line is wider and extends into the fringe. The examples from Japan are as large as European, those from Korea decidedly smaller. Larva pale brown streaked with yellow; dorsum black with three transverse yellowish white blotches; tubercles reddish, bearing erect tufts of hairs. [1]
Biology
The wingspan is 30–35 mm. The moth flies from May to September depending on the location.
The larvae feed on oak, European beech and birch.
References
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^ 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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Moma alpium: Brief Summary
provided by wikipedia EN
Moma alpium, the scarce merveille du jour, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in the Palearctic realm.
Larva
Illustration from
John Curtis's
British Entomology Volume 5
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- cc-by-sa-3.0
- copyright
- Wikipedia authors and editors
Larva 
