70.177 : 1828 : 8526
Geometridae : Larentiinae

Satyr Pug

EUPITHECIA satyrata satyrata (Hübner, [1813])

Subspecies
E.s.curzoni, 1884 - Shetlands - lighter coloured,shows more contrast
E.s.callunaria Doubleday, 1850 - fairly well distributed and locally frequent in Northumberland,mainland Scotland,Inner Hebrides,Orkney
and parts of Ireland
Picture
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 21 - 23mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - excluding (Azores,Balearic Is.,Canary Is.,Crete,Croatia,Cyprus,Madeira,Malta,Portugal,Sardinia & Sicily) - to Central Asia : North America
UK Distribution: ssp.satyra - widespread southern and eastern England but very local -most records on chalk in Surrey and Hampshire : Guernsey - very rare : ssp.callunaria - fairly well distributed and locally frequent in Northumberland,mainland Scotland,Inner Hebrides,Orkney and parts of Ireland : Isle of Man - local and scarce : found locally in Wales,west Midlands,and some part northern England : ssp.curzoni - widespread and frequent in Shetland.
UK Conservation Status -
  • ssp.satyra - Common = > 300 10km squares
  • ssp.callunaria - Local = 101 - 300  10km squares
  • ssp.curzoni - Local = 101 - 300  10km squares
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Geometra satyrata (Hübner, [1813])
Type Species - Eupitheca
Type Locality -
Phalaena absinthiata Clerck, 1759.
Flight Period: May - July
Habitat: Moorland : Upland grassland : Heathland : Chalkland : Open Woodland : Rough Ground
Similar Species -
  • Common Pug - Eupithecia vulgata -  (Haworth, 1809)
Larva: The 24mm final instar larva is variable as seen below,in shades of green,yellow,brown & pink with darker couloured chevrons dorsally and on sides.
Pupa: Pupates in plant litter or sifted soil where they overwinter.
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The ssp.satyrata is a fairly indistinct moth with poor markings and light brown pug with fairly straight forewing leading edge and a fairly pointed apex with black and white chequered venation generally missing on worn specimens.There are a series of white spots along the trailing edge of the wing with the largest of these in the trailing corner.
The ssp.cullunaria smaller moth with darker wings which are more banded. This subspecies is an upland race.
Ssp.curzoni has bold dark brown and white cross-lines and bands.

This moth is most likely to be confused with the Common Pug which is reddish brown in the south and more greyer and banded in the north,without chequered venation.The Common Pug also has an arched leading edge as opposed to straight .
The ssp.curzoni could be mistaken for Narrow-winged Pug which has a more pointed apex.

Moth usually appears in small numbers at the light trap except for the upland species which flies in numbers in late afternoon and is seen frequently at the light trap.
Photo Gallery
Larva
Larval Food Plants Worldwide
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Larval Food Plants
Taxonomy
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Type Species - EUPITHECIA:

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Subspecies:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Geometroidea
Geometridae
Larentiinae
Eupitheciini
EUPITHECIA Curtis, 1825
satyrata (Hübner, [1813])
Eupithecia satyrata satyrata (Hübner, [1813])
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Phalaena absinthiata Clerck, 1759.
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GEOMTERA satyrata (Hübner, [1813])
= Eupithecia satyraria Boisduval, 1840
= Eupithecia fagicolaria Robson & Gardner, 1886
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Geometra satyrata satyrata (Hübner, [1813])
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EUPITHECIA Curtis, 1825
= Tephroclystia Hübner [1825]
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Sammlung europäischer Schmetterlinge / errichtet von Jacob Hübner in Augsburg. By Hübner, Jacob, 1761-1826 : Lepidoptera V : Geometrae
1 :  p.85 -  fig.439
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Europe?
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E.s.curzoni, 1884 - Shetlands - lighter coloured,shows more contrast
E.s.callunaria Doubleday, 1850 - fairly well distributed and locally frequent in Northumberland,mainland Scotland,Inner Hebrides,Orkney and parts of Ireland
E.s.satyrata - Nominate subspecies