Copper underwing

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title: "Copper underwing" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["amphipyrinae", "moths-of-north-america", "moths-of-europe", "moths-of-asia", "moths-of-africa", "moths-described-in-1758", "animal-taxa-named-by-carl-linnaeus"] description: "Species of moth" topic_path: "general/amphipyrinae" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper_underwing" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Species of moth ::

| name = Amphipyra pyramidea | image = Amphipyra.pyramidea.jpg | image_caption = | taxon = Amphipyra pyramidea | authority = (Linnaeus, 1758) The copper underwing, humped green fruitworm or pyramidal green fruitworm (Amphipyra pyramidea) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.

Distribution

This species can be found across the Palaearctic region including Europe, North Africa, the Near East, Iran, southern Siberia, northern India, Korea and Japan. It is rather common over the southern half of Britain.

Description

This species has a wingspan of 47–54 mm, the female usually slightly larger than the male. The forewings are brown marked with paler fascia and a pale, dark-centred stigma. The hindwings are a rich bright copper colour (hence the common name of "copper underwing").

It is very similar to Svensson's copper underwing (Amphipyra berbera) but identification is usually fairly straightforward by looking at some markings on the forewings, the detail of the labial palps The larva is green with white markings and a pointed hump at the rear end.

Differentiation of ''A. pyramidea'' from ''A. berbera''

File:Amphipyra pyramidea - differenciation from Amphipyra berbera 01.jpg|A. pyramidea - red arrow points out a difference File:Amphipyra pyramidea - differenciation from Amphipyra berbera 02.jpg|A. berbera - red arrows point out a difference File:Amphipyra pyramidea - berbera larvae.jpg|Caterpillars of A. pyramidea (top) and A. berbera

Biology

It is a univoltine species. Hatching season is as early as June in some climates but they usually hatch July to October. Eggs are laid in deciduous trees. Larva can be found as early as April in some climates but usually emerge in May–June. A pyramidea flies at night from August to October and is attracted to light and strongly to sugar. The species overwinters as an egg.

1. The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.

Gallery

File: Amphipyra pyramidea larva.jpg|Larva File: Noctuidae - Amphipyra pyramidea.JPG|Moth File:Amphipyra pyramidea.jpg|Mounted specimen File: F Nemos OBA Amphipyra pyramidea.jpg|Illustration

References

References

1. Savela, Markku. (28 July 2019). "''Amphipyra pyramidea'' (Linnaeus, 1758)".
2. [https://web.archive.org/web/20160304202013/http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=449277 ''Fauna Europaea'']
3. Kimber, Ian. "73.062 BF2297 Copper Underwing ''Amphipyra pyramidea'' (Linnaeus, 1758)".
4. [http://www.entomart.be/synthese/Amphipyrapyramidea.html ''Entomart'']
5. and at the underside of the hindwings. This species has a pale area in the centre of the hindwings, contrasting with much darker marginal areas, while in ''A. berbera'' the whole underwing is more or less uniform in colour. See Townsend et al.Martin C. Townsend, Jon Clifton and Brian Goodey (2010). [https://butterfly-conservation.org/uploads/Difficult_species_guide_page_70.pdf ''British and Irish Moths: An Illustrated Guide to Selected Difficult Species''] {{Webarchive. link. (2021-10-24 . (covering the use of genitalia characters and other features) Butterfly Conservation.)

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