70.074 : 1777 : 8391
Geometridae : Larentiinae

July Highflyer

HYDRIOMENA furcata (Thunberg, 1784)
Picture
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 23-30mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe to as far east as Japan : N America
UK Distribution: Well distributed throughout Great Britain : Isle of Man-local : Channel Isles-widespread and frequent
UK Conservation Status -
  • Common = >300 10Km Squares
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Geometra furcata Thunberg, 1784
Type Species - Hydriomena
  • Geometra elutata Hübner, 1799
Type Locality -
  • Sweden-Upsala
Flight Period: South-mid May to early September : N Scotland-late July to early October
Habitat: Woodland : Heathland : Fens : Waste ground
Similar Species -
  • May Highflyer Hydriomena impluviata ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) 
  • Ruddy Highflyer Hydriomena ruberata Freyer, 1831
Larva: The 20mm larva is black with a series of greenish-white lateral lines down each side. Larva-April to June.Feeds by night and hides between leaves during the day.The larvae are polyphagous,feeding from a wide variety of plants covering many plant families as shown below.
Pupa: Pupates closed to the ground or just below surface.
Overwinters as: Ovum
Observations: The moth emerges later than the two similar species, appearing as late as October in Scotland.
This very variable moth which usually appears in green or blackish brown can be recognised by the diagonal apial streak as opposed to the two or three parallel apial streaks with the other similar species.

Further north the moth appears in greyer or reddish forms.

The moth can be disturbed during the day especially in woodland and is also attracted to the light trap,sometimes in good numbers.

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.
Larval Food Plants Slideshow
Taxonomy
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Type Species - HYDRIOMENA:

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Subspecies:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Geometroidea
Geometridae
Larentiinae
Hydriomenini
HYDRIOMENA Hübner [1825]
Hydriomena furcata (Thunberg,1784)
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Geometra elutata Hübner, 1799
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GEOMETRA furcata (Thunberg, 1784)
= Hydriomena sordidata Fabricius, 1794
= Hydriomena elutata Hübner, 1799
= fuscoundata Donovan, 1806
= elutaria Boisduval, 1840
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GEOMETRA furcata furcata (Thunberg,1784)
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Dissertatio entomologica sistens insecta Svecica-Carol. P. Thunberg 1784 Title Page  p.13
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Sweden-Upsala
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H.f.f.cinereata Prout,1897-forewing ash grey without darker line
H.f.f.sordidata Fabricius, 1794-green with darker line
H.f.f.obliterata Prout, 1897-without darker line
H.f.f.fuscoundata Donovan, 1806-brick red colour with darker line
H.f.f.testaceata Prout, 1897-brick red ,no darker line
H.f.f.obscura Peyerimhoff, 1862-almost unform dark brown
H.f.f.tricolorata Schrank, 1802-background green,normal croos lines plus white/light grey line
H.f.f.irrorata Speyer, 1843-cross lines appearing streaky
H.f.f.nigra Hackray, 1938-blackish
H.f.f.constricta Strand, 1904-median area light coloured, appearing as spots
H.f.f.flavotincta Culot, 1914-background yellowish
H.f.f.approximata Lempke, 1967-median area narrower
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H.f.furcata Thunberg, 1784
H.f.saga Prout 1938
H.f.fergusoni