Species of moth
Xestia gelida is a species of moth belonging to the family Noctuidae,[2] found in Fennoscandia and northern Russia. It was first collected by Jacob Sparre Schneider on an expedition in Sør-Varanger Municipality in Finnmark county, Norway in 1882, and was described the following year.[3] This was the only specimen known in Norway until 2010, when it was rediscovered in Nord-Trøndelag county.[4]
The larvae are known to feed on Vaccinium myrtillus (European blueberry) and Taraxacum (dandelion). The adults are active from June to July.[5]
The species is considered endangered in the 2015 Norwegian Red List and vulnerable in the 2020 Swedish Red List, primarily due to habitat loss.[6][5]
In 1989, it was found to exhibit industrial melanism, possibly the first known case among subarctic fauna.[7]
References
