Geometridae : Sterrhinae
Birch Mocha
CYCLOPHORA (Cyclophora) albipunctata (Hufnagel, 1767)
Birch Mocha
CYCLOPHORA (Cyclophora) albipunctata (Hufnagel, 1767)
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 20-25mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe-rare in S Europe : Temperate Asia
UK Distribution: South East England-Widespread and frequent,less widespread in rest of England and Wales : Isle of Man-local : Scotland-widely distributed : Ireland-local : Channel Isles-one only seen
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Woodland and heathland where larval food plant is available
Similar Species -
Pupa: Pupates attached to a birch leaf.
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The moth is usually greyish with a possible pinkish hue at the forewing median cross band as well as four reddish and grey spots along the median line which are highlighted by central white spots.Subterminal and antemedial lines are produced by a series of greyish spots.
Many forms vary the amount the forewing highlights above and can be seen on the taxonomy page for this species.
A regular visitor to the moth trap,this moth is also attracted to sugar and feeds on flowers such as Thistles and Ragwort.
Worldwide Distribution: Europe-rare in S Europe : Temperate Asia
UK Distribution: South East England-Widespread and frequent,less widespread in rest of England and Wales : Isle of Man-local : Scotland-widely distributed : Ireland-local : Channel Isles-one only seen
UK Conservation Status -
- Local = 101 - 300 10Km Squares
- Least Concern
- Phalaena albipunctata Hufnagel, 1767
- Phalaena albipunctata Hufnagel, 1767
- Germany-Berlin
Habitat: Woodland and heathland where larval food plant is available
Similar Species -
- Dingy Mocha Cyclophora pendularia Clerck, 1759
Pupa: Pupates attached to a birch leaf.
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The moth is usually greyish with a possible pinkish hue at the forewing median cross band as well as four reddish and grey spots along the median line which are highlighted by central white spots.Subterminal and antemedial lines are produced by a series of greyish spots.
Many forms vary the amount the forewing highlights above and can be seen on the taxonomy page for this species.
A regular visitor to the moth trap,this moth is also attracted to sugar and feeds on flowers such as Thistles and Ragwort.
Photo Gallery
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.
- Betulaceae - The Birch Family
- Betula nana - Dwarf Birch
- Betula pendula - Silver Birch
- Betula pubescens - Downy Birch
Larval Food Plant Slideshow
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Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Genus: Subgenus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - CYCLOPHORA: Original Species Name: Species Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Forms/Aberrations: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Geometroidea Geometridae Sterrhinae Cosymbiini CYCLOPHORA Hübner, 1822 Cyclophora Hübner, 1822 Cyclophora (Cyclophora) albipunctata (Hufnagel, 1767) - Phalaena albipunctata (Hufnagel, 1767) - = PHALAENA albipunctata (Hufnagel, 1767) = Phalaena suspensa Retzius, 1783 = Phalaena (Geometra) pupillaria Brahm, 1791 = Phalaena circularia Fabricius, 1798 = Ephyra vusarmana Walker, 1861 = Zonosoma ianthinarium Stichel, 1901 = aestiva Vorbrodt, 1930 = flavescens Prout, 1913 = hatertica Schultz, 1931 = impictaria Meves, 1914 = nigroroseata Wood, = nigrostriata Lutzau, 1908 = nigrosubrosea Bowman = orbiculoides Woodforde, 1910 = radiata Delahaye, 1900 = subochreata Woodforde, 1910 = unicolaria Lambillon, 1905 = pendulomontaria Urbahn, 1939 = kessleri Thomann, 1955 = penduloorbicula Tutt, 1907 = Cyclophora albipuctaria (m) quercimontaria (f) - Berlin. Magazin. 4 (6) : Title Page : p.526 - n.48 - Germany-Berlin - C.a.f.depulsa Bastelberger, 1908-Eyespots reduced to red point C.a.f.magnocellata Lempke, 1949-spots larger C.a.f.obsoletaria Lambillon, 1905-Cross lines deminish C.a.f.linearia Lambillon, 1905-Dark median line on each wing C.a.f.mediofasciata Lempke, 1949-Thick dark median line on each wing C.a.f.striata Lempke, 1949-cross line spots become streaks C.a.f.foliata Lempke, 1949-row small dots in marginal area C.a.f.albescens Lempke, 1949-Wing whitish,dark streaks almost missing C.a.f. brunnearia Lambillon, 1905-wings brownish C.a.f.griseata Lempke, 1949-Wing dark grey,postmedial line light C.a.f.subroseata Woodforde, 1902-wings tinged pink C.a.f.decoraria Newman, 1861-wings dark grey-median area pinkish C.a.f.rufescens Lempke, 1949-reddish tone,suffused dark grey at costa and wing margins C.a.f.plumbomarginata Lempke, 1967-marginal area on wings suffused dark grey C.a.f.nigrescens Lempke, 1967-wings grey-black,light cross lines missing,eyespots and spots visible - C. a.albipunctata Hufnagel, 1767-Europe(not Great Britain) : Turkey : Transkausaus : W.Siberia - Dahuria : Mongolia - Nominate subspecies C.a.griseolata Staudinger, 1897-SE.Siberia : Amur : Korea : Japan |