About Xanthia ocellaris Borkhausen, 1792
Xanthia ocellaris, the common name pale-lemon sallow, is a moth species belonging to the family Noctuidae. This species was described by Borkhausen in 1792, and its scientific name is Xanthia ocellaris Borkhausen, 1792. It is distributed from Europe to Anatolia and Morocco. The forewing of typical Xanthia ocellaris is pale yellowish grey, with more or less strong reddish grey tinge. The inner and outer lines are pale, with slightly darker edges. The diffuse median shade is dark grey. The submarginal line is pale, preceded by a row of dark dots that are often faint or absent, except for the dot above vein 6. The fringe is rufous. The stigmata have annuli edged with pale grey, and the reniform stigma bears a whitish, dark-edged dot at its lower extremity. The hindwing is whitish, with the inner marginal third colored pinkish grey. Several variations of this species have been recorded. The pale form palleago Hbn. (fig. 192, 28 h) has no red tinge at all. The aberration carneago ab. nov. (28 i) is pink, with only faint greyish coloring on the basal and terminal areas, very faint markings, and a pink fringe. The form lineago Guen. (= gilvago Hbn. fig. 193, 28 h, i) has a thicker, darker grey suffusion across the forewing, which makes its pale veins and markings stand out more prominently. The form intermedia Habich is described as transitional between typical ocellaris and gilvago. The author notes that intermedia Habich may be the same as the yellower form of palleago Hbn. fig. 442, and if that is the case, it would replace the name erythrago for the preceding species. The larva of Xanthia ocellaris is yellowish grey, with fine, faint dorsal and subdorsal lines, and a broadly white spiracular line. The wingspan of adults ranges from 32 to 36 mm.
