Biology:List of Lepidoptera that feed on plantains

Short description: none

Plantains (Plantago species) are used as food plants by the caterpillars of a number of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). These include:

• Arctiidae
  • Hypercompe cermelii
  • Hypercompe scribonia (giant leopard moth)
  • Spilosoma luteum (buff ermine)
• Crambidae
  • Diasemia reticularis
  • Dolicharthria punctalis
• Geometridae
  • Idaea biselata (small fan-footed wave)
• Lycaenidae
  • Candalides heathi (rayed blue)
• Lymantriidae
  • Euproctis chrysorrhoea (brown-tail)
• Noctuidae
  • Agrotis exclamationis (heart and dart)
  • Amphipyra tragopoginis (mouse moth)
  • Mamestra brassicae (cabbage moth)
  • Naenia typica (gothic)
  • Noctua comes (lesser yellow underwing)
  • Noctua pronuba (large yellow underwing)
  • Ochropleura plecta (flame shoulder)
  • Xestia c-nigrum (setaceous Hebrew character)
  • Xestia sexstrigata (six-striped rustic)
• Nymphalidae
  • Junonia coenia (common buckeye)
  • Junonia villida (meadow argus)
  • Melitaea athalia (heath fritillary) – recorded on ribwort plantain (P. lanceolata), greater plantain (P. major), alpine plantain (P. alpina) and possibly others
  • Melitaea aurelia (Nickerl's fritillary) – recorded on ribwort plantain (P. lanceolata)
  • Melitaea cinxia (Glanville fritillary)
  • Melitaea didyma (spotted fritillary) – recorded on ribwort plantain (P. lanceolata)
  • Melitaea parthenoides (European meadow fritillary) – recorded on ribwort plantain (P. lanceolata) and others

External links

• Robinson, Gaden S.; Ackery, Phillip R.; Kitching, Ian J.; Beccaloni, George W.; Hernández, Luis M. (2010). "Hostplant Genus: Plantago". Natural History Museum, London. https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/data/hostplants/search/list.dsml?&PGenus=Plantago&sort=Family.