Arrow-psi

Arrow-psi ^[1] ( lat. Acronicta psi ) - a butterfly from the family scoop.

Arrow-psi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animals Type of: Arthropods Grade: Insects Squad: Lepidoptera Family: Scoops Gender: Shooter View: Arrow-psi
Latin name
Acronicta psi ( Linnaeus , 1758)

It occurs from Europe and North Africa to northern Iran, Central Asia, the south and the center of Siberia and Mongolia.

A small butterfly, wingspan 35–45 mm ^[2] . Fore wings are whitish-gray, with a brownish tint and black swept strokes at the base and in the external field of the wing. Hind wings brownish-gray, dark at margins; usually lighter in males. This species is very similar to the arrow-trident ( Acronicta tridens ), in most cases, they can be distinguished only by analyzing the genitals. However, as a rule, the arrow-psi is darker, the hind wings are never white, which is often characteristic of Acronicta tridens males. Caterpillars of both species are very different. Butterflies fly in May - June. Night view, often flies to the light, sometimes to sugar.

The caterpillar is whitish from below and black from above with gray hairs. It has red or orange spots on the sides and a yellow strip along the back and two side stripes. On the first abdominal segment, there is a high black ledge on top (which the trident-shooter never has), and on the ninth, a little less. The length of the adult caterpillar reaches 38 ^[3] —40 mm. Caterpillars appear in the second half of summer in fruit nurseries and young gardens, sometimes severely damaging leaves. It damages almost all fruit crops.