Geometridae : Larentiinae
Garden Carpet
XANTHORHOE fluctuata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Subspecies
X.f.thules (Prout, 1914) - Northern Isles,Northern & NE Scotland
Garden Carpet
XANTHORHOE fluctuata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Subspecies
X.f.thules (Prout, 1914) - Northern Isles,Northern & NE Scotland
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 27-31mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe : Caucasus : Transcaucasus : Asia Minor : N.Iran : Middle Asia : S.Siberia : Yakutia : Far East : N.Korea : Japan
UK Distribution: Common and widespread throughout the British Isles
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Found in most habitats : Gardens and allotments : Rough ground in urban areas : Woodland : Coastal habitat
Similar Species -
Pupa: Overwinters underground.
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The Garden Carpet is a widespread species over England,Wales,Isle of Man,Ireland,Channel Isles,lowland Scotland including the Hebrides,Orkney and Shetland Isles.
The moth has a background colour that ranges between buff and greyish white with three black patches along the forewing.
The basal black patch encompasses the thorax whilst the abdomen is whitish buff.
The central blackish patch usually fades away towards the dorsum(not in photos below),this band varies in width and in some cases it is reduced to a spot at the costa X.f.f.costovata
In the form X.f.f. thules (Prout, 1896) the patches are coloured much darker, contrasting far less with the background colour. This form is normally found in the Northern Isles and North-east Scotland although it does occur elsewhere ,especially in the urban areas of London.
This species has an extremely long flying season where the adult can be seen flying for five months between April and September in southern England where is has up to three overlapping broods.
As a night flyer it is attracted to light,sometimes in moderate numbers and is most likely to be seen at lighted windows.
Worldwide Distribution: Europe : Caucasus : Transcaucasus : Asia Minor : N.Iran : Middle Asia : S.Siberia : Yakutia : Far East : N.Korea : Japan
UK Distribution: Common and widespread throughout the British Isles
UK Conservation Status -
- Common = >300 10Km Squares
- Least Concern
- Phalaena (Geometra) fluctuata Linnaeus 1758
- Geometra montanata ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
- Not Specified
Habitat: Found in most habitats : Gardens and allotments : Rough ground in urban areas : Woodland : Coastal habitat
Similar Species -
- Galium Carpet Epirrhoe galiata ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
Pupa: Overwinters underground.
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The Garden Carpet is a widespread species over England,Wales,Isle of Man,Ireland,Channel Isles,lowland Scotland including the Hebrides,Orkney and Shetland Isles.
The moth has a background colour that ranges between buff and greyish white with three black patches along the forewing.
The basal black patch encompasses the thorax whilst the abdomen is whitish buff.
The central blackish patch usually fades away towards the dorsum(not in photos below),this band varies in width and in some cases it is reduced to a spot at the costa X.f.f.costovata
In the form X.f.f. thules (Prout, 1896) the patches are coloured much darker, contrasting far less with the background colour. This form is normally found in the Northern Isles and North-east Scotland although it does occur elsewhere ,especially in the urban areas of London.
This species has an extremely long flying season where the adult can be seen flying for five months between April and September in southern England where is has up to three overlapping broods.
As a night flyer it is attracted to light,sometimes in moderate numbers and is most likely to be seen at lighted windows.
Subspecies
X.f.fluctuata (Linnaeus, 1758) - Great Britain- not Scotland - Nominate subspecies
X.f.fluctuata (Linnaeus, 1758) - Great Britain- not Scotland - Nominate subspecies
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.
- Brassicaceae - Mustards - Mustard Flowers - Cabbage Family
- Alliaria petiolata - Garlic Mustard
- Amoracia rusticana - Horseradish
- Brassica napus napus - Oil seed Rape
- Brassica oleracea v capitata - Cabbage
- Cakile maritima - European sea rocket
- Capsella bursa-pastoris - Shepherd's Purse
- Cardamine hirsuta - Hairy Bittercress
- Descurainia sophia - Flixweed
- Diplotaxis tenuifolia - Perennial Wall Rocket
- Eruca sativa - Rocket
- Erysimum cheiranthoides - Wormseed Mustard
- Raphanus raphanistrum - Wild Radish ssp maritimus
- Tropaeolaceae - Nasturtium Family
- Tropaeolum majus - Nasturtium
Larval Food Plant Slideshow
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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 - XANTHORHOE: Original Species Name: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Forms/Aberrations: Subspecies : |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Geometroidea Geometridae Larentiinae Xanthorhoini XANTHORHOE Hübner, [1825] Xanthorhoe fluctuata (Linnaeus, 1758) - Geometra montanata ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) - PHALAENA (Geometra) fluctuata (Linnaeus 1758) - Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title page : p.527 - n.185 - Not Specified - X.f.f.ochreata Prout, 1896-Background possible ochre X.f.f.rosata Guiart, 1912-Pink tone X.f.f.neapolisata Milliére, 1872-Darkened grey/brown X.f.f.albascens Lempke, 1950-Pure white X.f.f.approximata Lempke, 1950-Median line very narrow X.f.f.degenerata Lempke, 1950-Median line reduced to two spots X.f.f.immaculata Tutt, 1891-Median line missing X.f.f.sempionaria Râtzer 1881-Forewing white,median line short but visible X.f.f.costovata-Median band reduced to spot near costa - X.f.fluctuata (Linnaeus, 1758) - Nominate subspecies X.f.thules (Prout, 1914) - Northern Isles,Northern & NE Scotland |