Geometridae : Larentiinae
Dark Spinach
PELURGA comitata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Dark Spinach
PELURGA comitata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Kind permission - © Tim Norriss
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 33-39mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - (Excluding - Azores,Balearic Is.,Canary is.,Corsica,Crete,Croatia,Cyprus,Greece,Madeira,Malta,Portugal,
Sardinia & Sicily) : eastwards to Japan,Korea and the Amur Region od NE China- SE Siberia
UK Distribution: London area - Well distributed and locally frequent : E Anglia,Essex,east Midlands,Liverpool - Manchester area - well distributed : Rest of England and Wales - local or very local : Scotland - more frequent on coast : Isle of Man - local and scarce : Ireland - local but widespread : Channel Isles - local and occasional
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Gardens : Allotments : Rough open spaces
Similar Species -
Pupa: Pupates in cocoon just below the soil to overwinter
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The forewings are broad and well rounded where costa meets apex and also termen and are straw coloured and light brown especially at the well marked median area. Both antemedain and postmedian lines are wavy and with the latter edged with thin black line. The median area is always darker than the rest of the forewing although this changes from outside towards central area where the colour becomes lighter with a small black discal spot towards costa.
Species of conservation concern under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.
The moth flies at dusk and is attracted to light.
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - (Excluding - Azores,Balearic Is.,Canary is.,Corsica,Crete,Croatia,Cyprus,Greece,Madeira,Malta,Portugal,
Sardinia & Sicily) : eastwards to Japan,Korea and the Amur Region od NE China- SE Siberia
UK Distribution: London area - Well distributed and locally frequent : E Anglia,Essex,east Midlands,Liverpool - Manchester area - well distributed : Rest of England and Wales - local or very local : Scotland - more frequent on coast : Isle of Man - local and scarce : Ireland - local but widespread : Channel Isles - local and occasional
UK Conservation Status -
- Common = > 300 10km squares
- NERC S.41 : 2008 (England) & NERC S.42 : 2009 (Wales) - Species "of principle importance for the purpose of conserving biodiversity
- Northern Ireland - Priority Species : 2010
- BAP : 2007 - Priority Species
- Least Concern
- Phalaena comitata Linnaeus, 1758
- Phalaena comitata Linnaeus, 1758
- Europe
Habitat: Gardens : Allotments : Rough open spaces
Similar Species -
- Northern Spinach - Eulithis populata - (Linnaeus, 1758)
Pupa: Pupates in cocoon just below the soil to overwinter
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The forewings are broad and well rounded where costa meets apex and also termen and are straw coloured and light brown especially at the well marked median area. Both antemedain and postmedian lines are wavy and with the latter edged with thin black line. The median area is always darker than the rest of the forewing although this changes from outside towards central area where the colour becomes lighter with a small black discal spot towards costa.
Species of conservation concern under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.
The moth flies at dusk and is attracted to light.
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.
- Chenopodiaceae - The Goosefoot Family
- Atriplex oblogifolia - Oblong-leaf Orache
- Atriplex patula - Common Orache
- Chenopodium album - Lamb's Goosefoot - Fat-hen
- Chenopodium bonus-henricus - Good King Henry
- Chenopodium glaucum - Oak-Leaved Goosefoot
- Chenopodium hybridum - Maple-leaved Goosefoot
- Chenopodium polyspermum - Many-seeded Goosefoot
- Chenopodium pratericola - Desert Goosefoot
- Chenopodium rubrum - Red Goosefoot
- Chenopodium urbicum - Upright Goosefoot
- Chenopodium vulvaria - Stinking Goosefoot. Arrach - Wormseed
- Atriplex oblogifolia - Oblong-leaf Orache
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 PELURGA: Original Species Name: Literary Ref: Type Locality: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Geometroidea Geometridae Larentiinae Larentiini PELURGA Hübner 1825 Pelurga comitata (Linnaeus, 1758) - Phalaena comitata Linnaeus, 1758 - PHALAENA comitata (Linnaeus, 1758) - Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title Page : p.526 - n.172 - Europe |