The forewing margin of the Ground Lackey is chequered brown and buff, with the hindwing fringes paler than the wing (these darker in the Lackey). The cross-lines on the forewing, these sometimes weak or absent, form a waist near the centre, more obvious in the male.
The adults are incapable of feeding. They fly at night and are occasionally attracted to light. They overwinter as a single layer of eggs around a standing stem of a herbaceous saltmarsh plant and can withstand being flooded by the sea.. The caterpillars can be found from April to July, the young larvae being gregarious and living in a silken web. Pupation takes place among saltmarsh plants in a slight transparent cocoon.
Size and Family
- Family – Eggar moths (Lasiocampidae)
- Small / Medium Sized
- Wingspan Range – 31-41mm
Conservation status
- UK BAP: Not listed
- Scarce (Nationally Scarce A)
Caterpillar Food Plants
Sea Plantain (Plantago maritima), Common Sea-Lavender (Limonium vulgare), Sea Wormwood (Seriphidium maritimum), Sea-purslane (Atriplex portulacoides), Grass-leaved Orache (Atriplex littoralis) and Golden-samphire (Inula crithmoides). Also Wild Carrot (Daucus carota).
Habitat
Saltmarshes, also recorded from coastal shingle.
Distribution
- Countries – England
- Nationally Scarce A. Largely confined to the saltmarshes of the south east coast of England; northern Kent marshes,the estuaries of Essex and the Suffolk marshes. Found locally at Axmouth, Devon.
- Distribution Trend Since 1970’s = Britain: Suspected stable
Ground Lackey - Koen Thonissen
Ground Lackey
Koen Thonissen
Ground Lackey (underwing) - Tamás Nestor
Ground Lackey (underwing)
Tamás Nestor
Ground Lackey - Stuart Read
Ground Lackey
Stuart Read
Ground Lackey (male) - Ilia Ustyantsev
Ground Lackey (male)
Ilia Ustyantsev
Ground Lackey
Ground Lackey (caterpillar) - Koen Thonissen
Ground Lackey (caterpillar)
Koen Thonissen
Ground Lackey (caterpillar) - Bob Eade
Ground Lackey (caterpillar)
Bob Eade
Ground Lackey (caterpillar) - Tamás Nestor
Ground Lackey (caterpillar)
Tamás Nestor
Ground Lackey (caterpillar) - Tamás Nestor
Ground Lackey (caterpillar)
Tamás Nestor
Ground Lackey (cocoon) - Ilia Ustyantsev
Ground Lackey (cocoon)
Ilia Ustyantsev