Setina aurita

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: Endrosina
Genus: Setina
Species: Setina aurita
Subspecies: S. a. aurita – S. a. imbuta – S. a. pfisteri – S. a. teriolensis
Name

Setina aurita (Esper, 1787)
Synonyms

Noctua avrita [aurita] Esper, 1787
Bombyx ramosa Fabricius, 1793
Bombyx compluta Hübner, [1803]
Setina aurita var. sagittata Frey, 1882
Setina ramosa var. catherinei Oberthür, 1908
Endrosa arterica Turati, 1914
Endrosa roscida f. transversa Vorbrodt, 1921
Endrosa aurita tecticola Thomann, 1951

References

Burmann, K. & Tarmann, G.M. 1985. Kurze systematische Übersicht über die aurita-Gruppe der Gattung Setina Schrank, 1802 mit Beschreibung einer neuen Unterart, Setina aurita ssp. pfisteri subsp. n. Nota lepidopterologica (n.f.) 8(3): 242–266.Reference page.
Fabricius, J.C. 1787. Mantissa insectorum, sistens eorum species nuper detectas adiectis characteribus genericis, differentiis specificis, emendationibus, observationibus. Vol. 2: 382 pp. Christ. Gottl. Proft, Hafniae. BHL Reference page.
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.

Setina aurita is a moth of the family Erebidae. It was first described by Eugenius Johann Christoph Esper in 1787.

Subspecies

Setina aurita aurita
Setina aurita imbuta (Hübner, [1803])
Setina aurita pfisteri Burmann et Tarmann, 1985
Setina aurita teriolensis (Burmann, 1955)

Distribution and habitat

This species is only found in central Europe (Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Romania and Switzerland), in part of the Alps between 1,000 and 3,000 meters above sea level.[2][3] These moths inhabit stony alpine grasslands, rocky slope and sunny meadows.
Description
Dorsal view

The wingspan of Setina aurita can reach 25–32 mm. These small moths have whitish-yellow to orange-yellow forewings with longitudinal dark brown stripes reaching the wings' margins, where there are black dots. In some specimens only black dots are present on the entire wings. The wing drawing is strongly dependent on the altitude. Usually the moths living at more than 2,000 meters show stripes, while at lower elevation they are more dotted. Caterpillars can reach a length of about 22 millimetres (0.87 in). They are exceptionally long haired, yellow, with five longitudinal grayish-black stripes and grayish-black warts. The head is black.

This species is quite similar to the dew moth (Setina irrorella) and Setina roscida.[4]
Mounted specimen
Biology

Adults of these day-flying moths can be found from April to October depending on the elevation. The females lay their eggs on stones and rocks. The caterpillars live and pupate usually under rocks. The larvae feed on yellow lichens (Xanthoria parietina) and other lichen species growing on the rocks. This species overwinters, often two or three times, as caterpillars, that are active on mild winter days.[4]

Setina aurita, like other species belonging to the genus Setina, is known to emit ultrasounds (a crackling noise) during flight,[5] with the function of courtship signals.[6]
Bibliography

Esper, E. J. C. 1786. Die Schmetterlinge in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen. Vierter Theil. Europäische Gattungen. - pp. 1–372. Erlangen. (Walther)
Heiko Bellmann: Der Neue Kosmos Schmetterlingsführer, Schmetterlinge, Raupen und Futterpflanzen, Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-440-09330-1

References

"10512 Setina aurita (Esper, 1787) - Kleines Flechtenbärchen, Kleiner Flechtenbär, Alpen-Flechtenbärchen". Lepiforum e.V. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
Fauna Europaea
Savela, Markku. "Setina aurita (Esper, 1787)". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
"Setina aurita (Esper, 1787) Gelber Alpen-Flechtenbär". Portal für Schmetterlinge und Raupen. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
A. D. Blest, T. S. Collett and J. D. Pye The Generation of Ultrasonic Signals by a New World Arctiid Moth Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences - Vol. 158, No. 971 (September 17, 1963), pp. 196-207
William E. Conner Tiger Moths and Woolly Bears: Behavior, Ecology, and Evolution of the Arctiidae