Cybosia

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Panorpida
Cladus: Amphiesmenoptera
Ordo: Lepidoptera
Subordo: Glossata
Cladus: Coelolepida
Cladus: Myoglossata
Cladus: Neolepidoptera
Infraordo: Heteroneura
Cladus: Eulepidoptera
Cladus: Ditrysia
Cladus: Apoditrysia
Cladus: Obtectomera
Cladus: Macroheterocera
Superfamilia: Noctuoidea

Familia: Erebidae
Subfamilia: Arctiinae
Tribus: Lithosiini
Subtribus: Lithosiina
Genus: Cybosia
Species: C. mesomella
Name

Cybosia Hübner, 1819

Type species: Noctua eborina Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775 (= Phalaena mesomella, Linnaeus, 1758)
References

Witt, T.J. & Ronkay, L. (Eds.) 2011. Noctuidae Europaeae. Volume 13. Lymantriinae and Arctiinae, including phylogeny and check list of the quadrifid Noctuoidea of Europe. Entomological Press, Sorø, 448 pp. ISBN 978-87-89430-18-8. Reference page.

Cybosia is a monotypic moth genus in the subfamily Arctiinae erected by Jacob Hübner in 1819. Its only species, Cybosia mesomella, the four-dotted footman, was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.[2]

Forms

Cybosia mesomella f. flava (yellow)
Cybosia mesomella f. albescens (ivory colored)

[3]
Description

The wingspan is 25–33 mm.[4][5] The basic colour of the forewings may be yellow or ivory greyish with yellow borders. The forewings show in the middle four small black dots (hence the common name of this species).[4] The hindwings are grey, sometimes with yellowish edges. The thorax and the abdomen are whitish, covered with fine hairs.
Biology
Cybosia mesomella f. flava (yellow form)

This species has one generation per year. Females lay eggs in early July on the larval food plants. The eggs hatch in August or early September. The larvae overwinter and pupate the following spring, from May up to the beginning of June. The moths fly at dusk from June to mid-August depending on location. The larvae feed mainly after dark on low vegetation such as heather, willows, Leontodon autumnalis and Vaccinium uliginosum. They are lichen and algae feeders like most other lithosiines.[1][5][6]
Distribution

This species can be found in most of Europe except Spain, in the east Palearctic realm and in the Near East.[1][7]
Habitat

Cybosia mesomella prefers warm, moist and sunny environment, deciduous and mixed forests, heaths, moorland, damp grassland, fens, wet meadows and open woodlands.[5]
References

Savela, Markku. "Cybosia Hübner, [1819]". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
"Four-dotted Footman Cybosia mesomella (Linnaeus, 1758) ". BioLib.cz. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
Günter Ebert (Hrsg.): Die Schmetterlinge Baden-Württembergs Band 5, Nachtfalter III (Sesiidae, Arctiidae, Noctuidae). Ulmer Verlag Stuttgart 1997. ISBN 3-800-13481-0
Kimber, Ian. "Four-dotted Footman Cybosia mesomella". UKMoths. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
Hantsmoths
Paolo Mazzei, Daniel Morel, Raniero Panfili Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa

Fauna Europaea

Witt, T.J. & L. Ronkay, 2011: Lymantriinae and Arctiinae - Including Phylogeny and Check List of the Quadrifid Noctuoidea of Europe. Noctuidae Europaeae Volume 13: 1-448.