70.083 : 1771a : 8584
Geometridae : Larentiinae

Cypress Carpet

THERA cupressata (Geyer, [1831])
Picture
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 28-32mm
Worldwide Distribution: Western Europe - not Portugal : North Africa-Tunisia : Greece
UK Distribution: Southern England - Hampshire incl. Isle of Weight,Dorset,Surrey,Sussex,Devon,Cornwall - First recorded in west Sussex in 1984,in Kent in 1999 and Channel Isles,1985 where it is now frequent and widespread.
UK Conservation Status -
  • Local = 101-300 10km squares
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Geometra compressata (Geyer, [1831])
Type Species - Thera
  • Geometra variata ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
Type Locality -
  • Not Specified
Flight Period: South - two generations - mid April to mid August and mid August to early December : Elsewhere - late June to Late July and October to November
Habitat: Parkland : Gardens
Similar Species -
  • Juniper Carpet - Thera juniperata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Larva: The 25mm final instar larva is green with a darker green dorsal line and subdorsal lines forming a ring on each abdominal segment.Viewed from the side there are yellowish markings between the abdominal segments making them well camouflaged on the Cupressus food plant.The larva overwinters possibly feeding when the weather is mild.
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: Although superficially similar to the Juniper Carpet - Thera juniperata (Linnaeus, 1758) this moth is easily recognised by the forewing blackish brown streaks towards the apex,with another on edge of dorsum and a thinner streak inside the median area. The median band markings are quite often feint and indistinct as shown in photos below as opposed to the Juniper Carpet which has markings which are well defined.

This moth was first recorded in this country in West Sussex in 1984 and has slowly expanded its range, and although usually a coastal species indicating possible immigration it has slowly moved further north and is now regularly recorded in north Hampshire. As a parkland and garden species it is possibly the use of Cupressocyparis leylandii as a hedging plant that has assisted this expansion of the species.

The moth is attracted to the light and appears at the moth trap in small 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
Taxonomy
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Type Species - THERA:

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Type Locality:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Geometroidea
Geometridae
Larentiinae
Cidariini
THERA Stephens, 1831
Thera cupressata (Geyer,[1831])
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Geometra variata ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
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GEOMETRA cupressata (Geyer,[1831])
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Sammlung europäischer Schmetterlinge / errichtet von Jacob Hübner in Augsburg. By Hübner, Jacob, 1761-1826  Lepidoptera V : Geometra 1 : pl. 107  - f. 563
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Not Specified