54.003 : 164 : 3948
Zygaenidae : Procridinae

Cistus Forester

ADSCITA (Adscita) geryon geryon (Hübner,[1813])

Picture
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 20-25mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - A.(A.) geryon geryon (Hübner,[1813) - England,Germany,Switzerland,NE France & Austria 
UK Distribution: Localised sites confines to England and Wales -
UK Conservation Status -
  • UK BAP. - Not Listed
  • Nationally Scarce B (Nb - BAP : 1997) = 31 - 100 10Km Squares
European Conservation Status - 
  • Not Available
Original Species Name -
  • Sphinx geryon (Hübner,[1813])
Type Species - Adscita
  • Adscita turcosa Retzius, 1783
Type Locality -
  • Germany - Bavaria
Flight Period: South - early May to July
Habitat: Chalk & Limestone Downs,warm & sloped with plenty of flowers for nectaring and Common Rock-rose for egg laying, which must be protected from grazers.
Similar Species -
  • Scarce Forester - Jordanita globulariae - (Hübner, 1793)
  • Forester - Adscita statices - (Linnaeus, 1758)
Larva: The 5mm larva is purplish brown with a dark dorsal line and broad pale yellow,cream subdorsal bands.The head is dark blackish-brown.Larval stage last from July to the following May,mining the leaf initially before eating the lower surface of the leaves.The following spring when fully grown the small leaves are all eaten.
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: Although the three "Forester" moths in Britain are all similar, small differences help to differentiate the species and for the Cistus Forester it is the smaller size than the other two.The Scarce Forester has a tapered antenne at the tipwhereas the other two Foresters are round and blunt at the tip.In full sunshine I believe the green sheen of this moth is more golden green and under certain light pertains to have an apial crease which is false.(see photo 2 above)

There are two main groups of Cistus Forester within its range,firstly,the high altitude subspecies having more hair on the abdomen and thorax and secondly, whether dependent on the presence or absence of the cornutus in the aedeagus.

All the subspecies have a combination of those two factors and in the case of this moth, it is low altitude and less hairy and does contain genitalia bearing the cornutus. (Moths of Europe. P.Leraut vol.3. 2012)
Subspecies
A.(A.) geryon geryon (Hübner,[1813) - England,Wales,Germany,Switzerland,NE France & Austria
"Forester's" Lighting Comparisons
Ovum
Typical Habitat
Larval Food Plants Worldwide
Note - Plants hyperlinked in red below take the visitor to the relevant plant page on"Plants for a Future" website where further information like photos,physical characteristics,habitats,edible uses,medicinal uses,cultivation,propagation,range,height etc. are clearly listed.
  • Plant Families - in bold red below takes the visitor to the relevant "Lepi-plants" page where other butterflies & moths using the plants below are listed.
Larval Food Plants
Taxonomy
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Subspecies:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Zygaenoidea
Zygaenidae
Procridinae
Procridini
ADSCITA Retzius, 1783
Adscita Retzius, 1783
Adscita ( Adscita ) geryon geryon (Hübner,[1813])
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Adscita turcosa Retzius, 1783
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SPHINX geryon (Hübner,[1813])
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ADSCITA Retzius 1783-Genus
= Ino Leach 1815
= Procris Fabricius 1807
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Sammlung europäischer Schmetterlinge / errichtet von Jacob Hübner in Augsburg. By Hübner, Jacob, 1761-1826 Lepidoptera 1 : Sphingae 1 :  Pl.28 - f.130-131
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Not Specified
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A.g.f.viridis Tutt, 1899 - Head,thorax and abdomen yellow-green,gold-tinged green,deep green
A.g.f.virescens Agenjo,1937 - very dull green
A.g.f.caerulea Tutt,1899 - bluish green
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A.g.geryon (Hübner,[1813]) - Nominate subspecies - England,Wales ,Germany,Switzerland,NE France & Austria
A.g.orientalis (Albertini, 1938) - possibly synonym of nominate form
A.g.chrysocephala Nickerl,1845 - high peak region of Austria and Italy
A.g.aeris (Verity,1946) stat.rev.- western area of French Alps & Italy
A.g.parisensis Leraut ssp.nov - western areas of France,Paris & South of France (less Alps)