Geometridae : Larentiinae
Lime-speck Pug
EUPITHECIA centaureata ([Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775])
Lime-speck Pug
EUPITHECIA centaureata ([Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775])
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 16-20mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe : Central Asia : Mongolia : southern Siberia : eastern China : Taiwan : Near east : north Africa
UK Distribution: Well distributed in Great Britain : Isle of Man-local : Ireland-Fairly widespread
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Woodland : Gardens : Hedgerows
Similar Species -
Pupa: Pupates in plant debris or loose earth.
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The moth has a white to whitish brown narrow forewing with a black discal spot located on a light or darker black patch adjacent to the costa, which makes this moth unmistakeable.
In the f.albidior Heinrich, 1916 this black costal spot is blurred out,leaving an almost white forewing and in the f.obscura Dietze, 1910 the forewing background is much darker.
The moth is often seen at rest on fences or windows, but as I found out on my Buddleja ,if disturbed they tend to hide beneath a leaf.The moth is attracted to light and is a regular visitor to the light trap.
Worldwide Distribution: Europe : Central Asia : Mongolia : southern Siberia : eastern China : Taiwan : Near east : north Africa
UK Distribution: Well distributed in Great Britain : Isle of Man-local : Ireland-Fairly widespread
UK Conservation Status -
- Common = >300 10Km squares
- Least Concern
- Phalaena (Geometra) centaureata ([Denis & Schiffermüller],1775)
- [Phalaena] absinthiata Clerck, 1759
- Austria-near Vienna
Habitat: Woodland : Gardens : Hedgerows
Similar Species -
- None
Pupa: Pupates in plant debris or loose earth.
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The moth has a white to whitish brown narrow forewing with a black discal spot located on a light or darker black patch adjacent to the costa, which makes this moth unmistakeable.
In the f.albidior Heinrich, 1916 this black costal spot is blurred out,leaving an almost white forewing and in the f.obscura Dietze, 1910 the forewing background is much darker.
The moth is often seen at rest on fences or windows, but as I found out on my Buddleja ,if disturbed they tend to hide beneath a leaf.The moth is attracted to light and is a regular visitor to the light trap.
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.
- Apiaceae - Umbelliferae - Umbellifer Family
- Anethum graveolens - Dill (Flowers)
- Angelica sylvestris - Wild Angelica (Flowers)
- Pimpinella saxifraga - Burnet Saxifrage
- Selinium carvifolia - Cambridge Milk-parsley
- Asteraceae - Compositae - Aster-Daisy - Sunflower Family
- Achillea millefolium - Yarrow (Flowers)
- Artemesia campestris - Field Southerwood
- Artemesia maritima - Sea Wormwood
- Aster amellus - Lalian Aster (Flowers)
- Aster linosyris - Goldilocks (Flowers)
- Aster novi-belgii - Michaelmas Daisy
- Centaurea nigra - Common Knapweed
- Eupatorium cannabinum - Hemp Agrimony
- Heiracium umbellatum - Hawkweed
- Solidago canadensis - Canadian Goldenrod
- Solidago virgaurea - Goldenrod
- Tanacetum vulgare - Tansy
- Tripleurospermum maritima - Sea Mayweed
- Brassicaceae - Mustards - Mustard Flowers - Cabbage Family
- Crambe abyssinica - Abyssinian Kale
- Campanulaceae - Bellflower Family
- Campanula glomerata - Clustered Bellflower
- Campanula rotundifolia - Harebell
- Caryophyllaceae - Pink - Carnation Family
- Silene vulgaris - Bladder Campion
- Dipsacaceae - Teasel Family
- Knautia arvensis - Field Scabious
- Ericaceae - Heather Family
- Calluna vulgaris - Common Heather - Ling
- Fabaceae - Leguminosea - The Pulse - Bean - Pea - Legume Family
- Lotus corniculatus - Bird's-foot Trefoil
- Medicago sativa - Alfalfa
- Trifolium pratense - Red Clover
- Vicia cracca - Tufted Vetch - Bird Vetch - Cow Vetch
- Polygonaceae - Docks - Sorrels - Knotweeds - Smartweeds
- Rumex acetosa - Common Sorrel - Narrow-leaved Dock
- Rumex acetosella - Sheeps Sorrel - Red Sorrel
- Primulaceae - Primrose Family
- Lysimachia vulgaris - Yellow Loosestrife
- Ranunculaceae - Buttercup - Crowfoot Family
- Actaea rubra - Red Baneberry
- Clematis vitalba - Traveller's Joy
- Rosaceae - The Rose Family
- Filipendula ulmaria - Meadowsweet
- Rubiaceae - Bedstraw Family
- Galium mullugo - Hedge Bedstraw
- Galium verum - Lady's Bedstraw
- Note - Larvae also feed on the following plant families
- Asteraceae - Compositae - Arctium - Burdocks / Cirsium - Plume Thistles
- Note - Larvae also feed on the following plant families
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - EUPITHECIA: Original Species Name: Species Name: Genus Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Forms/Aberrations: Subspecies |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Geometroidea Geometridae Larentiinae Eupitheciini EUPITHECIA Curtis, 1825 Eupithecia centaureata ([Denis & Schiffermüller],1775) - [Phalaena] absinthiata Clerck, 1759 - PHALAENA (Geometra) centaureata ([Denis & Schiffermüller],1775) = Geometra oblongata Thunberg 1784 - EUPITHECIA Curtis, 1825 = Tephroclystia Hübner 1825 - Ankündung eines systematischen Werkes von den Schmetterlingen der Wienergegend : Title Page : p.114 - n.7 - Austria-near Vienna - E.c.f.albidior Heinrich, 1916-black costal spot blurred out,almost white background E.c.f.obscura Dietze, 1910-wing background darker E.c.f.bistrigata Lempke, 1969-two complete cross lines - E.c.centralisata Staudinger, 1892 - Cyprus : Central Asia |