About Eublemma minutata (Fabricius, 1794)
Eublemma minutata, commonly known as the scarce marbled, is a moth species belonging to the family Erebidae. This species is widespread across most of Europe, and is not found in Luxembourg, the Netherlands, northern Russia, and various islands. In Asia, it has only been recorded in Lebanon. The wingspan of Eublemma minutata measures 13–15 millimetres, which equals 0.51–0.59 inches. Meyrick provides the following detailed description of the species: The head and thorax are white. The forewings are ochreous-white, with light grey suffusion covering most of the wing except for areas towards the base and along the costa; the median shade is straight and ochreous-grey; the second line is straight and whitish, with a small angular projection in the middle, edged posteriorly with ochreous-grey suffusion; the subterminal line is obscurely whitish, and is followed by a darker grey spot on the costa. The hindwings are fuscous-whitish, turning fuscous toward the posterior edge. Adult moths are active both during the day and at night, and they fly between July and August. Adults occasionally visit the flowers of Helichrysum arenarium, and will fly short distances in sunlight. At night, they are attracted to artificial light sources, and occasionally also to baits. Caterpillars develop from May to June on Helichrysum arenarium, and prefer to feed on the plant's flowers, shoot tips, and fruit stalks. The caterpillars hide in a whitish web built below the plant's flower head.
