70.090 : 1755 : 8331
Geometridae : Larentiinae

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EULITHIS testata (Linnaeus, 1761)
Picture
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 35-40mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - less Bulgaria,Greece,Portugal,Slovenia and most Mediterranean Islands  : Urals : Kazakhstan : Siberia : Far East : Sakhalin : from Yukon - British Columbia - Newfoundland,Montana,New Jersey
UK Distribution: England,Wales,Scotland - widespread and frequent : Ireland,Isle of Man - fairly widespread and frequent : Channel Isles - local and occasional
UK Conservation Status -
  • Common = > 300 10km squares
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Phalaena testata (Linnaeus, 1761)
Type Species - Eulithis
  • Petrophora diversilineata Hübner, 1813
Type Locality -
  • Not Specified
Flight Period: South - late May - early October : Elsewhere - July - mid September
Habitat: Heathland : Moorland : Fens : Open Woodland : Sand Dunes
Similar Species -
  • Northern Spinach - Eulithis populata - (Linnaeus, 1758)
Larva: The 25mm final instar is light ochreous or reddish brown and has a black dorsal line with white thinner subdorsal and spiracular lines.
Pupa: Pupates in a cocoon spun on the host plant or in leaf litter
Overwinters as: Ovum
Observations: The moth is easily identified by the chevron shapes on each forewing in the median area and the white apial streaks.Ground colour of this moth varies from bright brownish orange to light reddish brown with white "frosting" over the forewing.The median fascia on the similar species forewing is less "V" shaped and more jagged.
The basal area,median fascia and a triangulated shape adjacent to the apial streak id darker than the rest of the forewing.
Female smaller than the male with narrower forewing.

The moth is attracted to light and rests at night on low vegetation.
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 - EULITHIS:

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Forms:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Geometroidea
Geometridae
Larentiinae
Cidariini
EULITHIS Hübner 1821
Eulithis testata (Linnaeus, 1761)
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Petrophora diversilineata Hübner, 1813
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PHALAENA testata (Linnaeus, 1761)
= colorata (Fabricius, 1794)
= achatinata (Hübner, 1796-99)
= achantinaria (Boisduval, 1840)
= Eulithis insulicola Staudinger, 1901
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Fauna Suecica (Edn 1-2) : Title Page : p.331  - n.1262
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Not Specified
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E.t.f.insulicolata Staudinger, 1901 - melanic form