{{Short description|Species of moth}} {{Speciesbox | image = Euxoa tritici (xndr).jpg | taxon = Euxoa nigrofusca | authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1761 | synonyms = *''Euxoa tritici'' }}

'''''Euxoa nigrofusca''''', the '''white-line dart''', is a [[moth]] of the family [[Noctuidae]]. It is found from [[Europe]], to southern [[Siberia]], central [[Asia]] to the [[Pacific Ocean]]. In [[North Africa]] it is known from [[Morocco]] and [[Algeria]].

==Description== The [[wingspan]] is 28–40&nbsp;mm. Colouring and pattern are extremely variable and hardly a specimen has an identical colouring and pattern. The colour varies from grey-brown to dark grey. The costa is pale and the pattern often obscure. Pale orbicular and reniform. The males have relatively short combed antennae, the female antennae are thread-like. Note that ''E. nigrofusca'' may not be a [[Species problem|good species]]. The ''Euxoa tritici'' complex consists of five sibling species in Europe: White-linedart ''[[Euxoa tritici]]'' (Linnaeus, 1761), ''Euxoa nigrofusca'' (Esper, 1788), ''[[Euxoa eruta]]'' (Hübner, 1817), ''[[Euxoa diaphora]]'' Boursin, 1928 and ''[[Euxoa segnilis]]'' (Duponchel, 1836). Furthermore, although Fibiger (1997) treated ''[[Euxoa montivaga]]'' differently it belongs to the ''E. tritici'' complex. Differences among the species are subtle, the most important diagnostic characteristics being genitalic. In studies of three of these species, ''E. tritici'', ''E. nigrofusca'' and ''E. eruta'', no support was found for the presence of several morphologically distinguishable species with quantitative morphometric analyses.<ref>Marko Mutanen, 2005 Delimitation difficulties in species splits: a morphometric case study on the Euxoa tritici complex (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) ''Systematic Entomology'' (2005), 30, 632–643 [http://molbiol.ru/forums/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=56280 pdf]</ref> [[Image:Buckler W The larvæ of the British butterflies and moths PlateLXXII.jpg|thumb|140px|left|Figs 2,2a,2b, 2c larva after last moult]]

==Life-cycle== The egg is yellowish, without superficial ribs. The caterpillars are yellowish to ochre-colored with a light line on the dorsum and dark laterodorsal lines, which are slightly edged downwards. The lateral stripes are greenish-brown. The pupa is brown-yellow and has a blunt cremaster studded with two pointed thorns. Overwinters as an egg laid on the foodplant, the larvae feed at night partly subterraneous on the roots of ''[[Poaceae]]'' and a wide range of herbaceous plants such as corn spurrey (''[[Spergula arvensis]]''). This moth flies from June to October depending on the location and there is one generation per year. It can be found on [[heath]]s, [[dune|sand dunes]], cliffs and open heaty woodland.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/research/projects/hostplants/ |title= Robinson, G. S., P. R. Ackery, I. J. Kitching, G. W. Beccaloni & L. M. Hernández, 2010. HOSTS - A Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants. Natural History Museum, London.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Waring|first1=Paul|last2=Townsend|first2=Martin|last3=Lewington|author3-link=Richard Lewington (artist)|first3=Richard|title=Field Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland|date=2003|publisher=British Wildlife Publishing|location=Hook, Hampshire|isbn=0 9531399 1 3}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons|Euxoa tritici}} *[http://www.nic.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/noctuoidea/noctuidae/noctuinae/euxoa/index.html Funet] Taxonomy *[https://fauna-eu.org Fauna Europaea] *[http://www.vlindernet.nl/vlindersoort.php?vlinderid=513 Vlindernet {{in lang|nl}}] *[http://webh01.ua.ac.be/vve/Checklists/Lepidoptera/Noctuidae/Etritici.htm Lepidoptera of Belgium] *[https://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=4495 White-line Dart at UKmoths] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100517095507/http://redalyc.uaemex.mx/redalyc/html/455/45513605/45513605.html Noctuinae of Israel]

{{Taxonbar|from=Q1146052}}

[[Category:Euxoa]] [[Category:Moths described in 1761]] [[Category:Moths of Africa]] [[Category:Moths of Asia]] [[Category:Moths of Europe]] [[Category:Moths of the Middle East]] [[Category:Animal taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]