Geometridae : Larentiinae
Gem
NYCTEROSEA obstipata (Fabricius, 1794)
Gem
NYCTEROSEA obstipata (Fabricius, 1794)
Kind permission - © A.R.Collins
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 18 - 21mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - ( Excluding - Channel Is., & N Russia) - throughout Europe including Iceland
UK Distribution: Immigrant from southern Europe into southern England and southern Ireland although lesser numbers appear inland as far north as Scotland,Isle of Man and northern England. Numbers vary considerably although some years enough to breed.
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Sunny habitats including gardens
Similar Species -
Overwinters as: cannot hibernate in our winters
Observations: A migrant to this country most years there have been about 4000 recorded between 2000 and 2015 with the best year producing over a thousand moths.
Forewing of male is orange brown with numerous cross lines, a dark blackish central cross band and ill defined apial black streak. The female is darker brown with very fine undulating white cross lines with the central spot sometimes ringed with white.
Seldom seen except at the light trap.
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - ( Excluding - Channel Is., & N Russia) - throughout Europe including Iceland
UK Distribution: Immigrant from southern Europe into southern England and southern Ireland although lesser numbers appear inland as far north as Scotland,Isle of Man and northern England. Numbers vary considerably although some years enough to breed.
UK Conservation Status -
- Migrant
- Least Concern
- Phalaena obstipata (Fabricius, 1794)
- Nycterosea brunneipennis Hulst, 1896
- Not Specified
Habitat: Sunny habitats including gardens
Similar Species -
- None
Overwinters as: cannot hibernate in our winters
Observations: A migrant to this country most years there have been about 4000 recorded between 2000 and 2015 with the best year producing over a thousand moths.
Forewing of male is orange brown with numerous cross lines, a dark blackish central cross band and ill defined apial black streak. The female is darker brown with very fine undulating white cross lines with the central spot sometimes ringed with white.
Seldom seen except at the light trap.
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.
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.
- Annonaceae - Custard Apple Family
- Annona glabra - Pond Apple
- Asteraceae - Compositae - Aster-Daisy - Sunflower Family
- Eupatorium cannabinum - Hemp Agrimony
- Senecio vulgaris - Groundsel
- Brassicaceae - Mustards - Mustard Flowers - Cabbage Family
- Nasturtium officinale - Watercress
- Convolvulaceae - Bindweed - Morning Glory Family
- Convolvulus arvensis - Field Bindweed
- Euphorbiaceae - Spurge Family
- Acalypha virginica - Three-seed Mercury
- Myricaceae - Wax-myrtle Family
- Eucalyptus saligna - Sydney Bluegum
- Polygonaceae - Docks - Sorrels - Knotweeds - Smartweeds
- Polygonum aviculare - Postrate Knotweed
- Polygonum hydropiper - Smartweed, Marshpepper knotweed
- Polygonum persicaria - Redshank - Red Leg
- Rosaceae - Rose Family
- Agrimonia eupatoria - Common Agrimony
- Rubiaceae - Bedstraw Family
- Galium mullugo - Hedge Bedstraw
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - NYCTEROSEA: Original Species Name: Species Name: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Forms: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Geometroidea Geometridae Larentiinae Xanthorhoini NYCTEROSEA Hulst 1896 Nycterosea obstipata (Fabricius, 1794) - Nycterosea brunneipennis Hulst, 1896 - PHALAENA obstipata (Fabricius, 1794) = Orthonama obstipata (Fabricius, 1794) = Orthonama obstipatum (Fabricius, 1794) = Orthonama fluviata (Hübner, 1796-99) = Orthonama gemmata (Hübner, 1796-99) = Orthonama angustata (Haworth, 1809) = Orthonama albicinctata (Haworth, 1809) = Orthonama gemmaria (Boisduval, 1840) = Orthonama lapillata (Guenée, 1857) = Orthonama baccata (Guenée, 1857) = Orthonama exagitata (Walker, 1862) = Orthonama intrusata (Walker, 1862) = Orthonama peracutata (Walker, 1862) = Orthonama obruptata (Walker, 1863) = Orthonama signataria (Walker, 1863) = Orthonama alternata (Walker, 1866) = Orthonama pigrata (Walker, 1866) = Orthonama brunneipennis (Hulst, 1896) = Orthonama mortuaria (Schaus, 1908) = Orthonama marginata (Mathew, 1906) = Orthonama obsoleta (Mathew, 1906) = Orthonama olivacea (Mathew, 1906) = Orthonama Coremia pigrata Walker, 1866 - Entomologia systemanica emendata et aucta. Secundum classes, ordines, genera, species adjectis synonimis, loci, observationibus, descriptionibus 3 (2): 1-349. Hafniae (CG Proft, Ph. Et Soc.). - Digital TechniSat der Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek Munich: Title Page : p.199 - n.257 - Not Specified - N.o.f.inocellata Lempke, 1950 - female - discal eyespot missing N.o.f.interrupta Schawerda, 1921 - male - median fascia broken N.o.f.absoleta Mathews, 1906 - median fascia almost absent N.o.f.olivacea Mathews, 1906 - female - olive toned instead of crimson brown |