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Lesser Swallow Prominent Pheosia gnoma

Picture of Pheosia gnoma and Pheosia tremula

The Swallow Prominent and the Lesser Swallow Prominent are almost identical. Yet it is easy to tell the two species apart. Just look at the white wedges marked in the picture above. In the Lesser Swallow Prominent this is a triangle, in the Swallow Prominent this is a much longer and thinner line.

Measuring 20 to 26 mm and reaching a wingspan up to 50 mm, the Lesser Swallow Prominent is slightly smaller than the Swallow Prominent, but there is a lot of overlap. It is on the wing in May and June and then later on in August. The species is double brooded. The caterpillars are up to 40 mm in length and extremely shiny. They are greyish with a purple lustre. The caterpillars feed on Birch exclusively. The Lesser Swallow Prominent overwinters in the ground in the pupal stage in a firm cocoon. This is a fairly common species all over Britain.