Geometridae : Larentiinae
Purple Treble-bar
APLOCERA praeformata (Hübner, [1826])
Purple Treble-bar
APLOCERA praeformata (Hübner, [1826])
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 34 - 40mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - less (Denmark,Ireland,Norway,Netherlands & all Mediterranean Islands) eastwards to western Russia
UK Distribution: Two records only
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Grassland : Woodland edges
Similar Species -
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: The moth has just a couple of recognised records in Britain with one from Chinnor on the Oxfordshire/Buckinghamshire border back in 1919 and a second from Lawrenny Park, Pembrokeshire in 1946.
The moth appears in Europe from mid June to August and has a range from northern Spain up to Sweden and across to western Russia where it has similar habitats as our own "Treble-bar moth" also relying on St John's Wort.
The forewings are slate grey with oblique cross lines and a purplish subapial streak, the colour also appearing on the basal side of the antemdian line.
Similar to the Treble-bar moths it has a short blackish bands on the antemedian line which finishes at the costa pointed and acute. The moth is also larger than the British species.
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - less (Denmark,Ireland,Norway,Netherlands & all Mediterranean Islands) eastwards to western Russia
UK Distribution: Two records only
UK Conservation Status -
- Vagrant/Accidental
- Least Concern
- Geometra praeformata (Hübner, [1826])
- Phalaena plagiata (Linnaeus 1758)
- Europe
Habitat: Grassland : Woodland edges
Similar Species -
- Lesser Treble-bar - Aplocera efformata - (Guenée, [1858])
- Treble-bar - Aplocera plagiata - (Linnaeus, 1758)
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: The moth has just a couple of recognised records in Britain with one from Chinnor on the Oxfordshire/Buckinghamshire border back in 1919 and a second from Lawrenny Park, Pembrokeshire in 1946.
The moth appears in Europe from mid June to August and has a range from northern Spain up to Sweden and across to western Russia where it has similar habitats as our own "Treble-bar moth" also relying on St John's Wort.
The forewings are slate grey with oblique cross lines and a purplish subapial streak, the colour also appearing on the basal side of the antemdian line.
Similar to the Treble-bar moths it has a short blackish bands on the antemedian line which finishes at the costa pointed and acute. The moth is also larger than the British species.
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.
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.
- Hypericaceae - St John's Wort Family
- Hypericum maculatum - Imperforate St John's-wort
- Hypericum perforatum - St John's-wort
- Hypericum pulchrum - Slender St John's-wort
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species APLOCERA: Original Species Name: Species Names: Nominotypical Subspecies: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Subspecies: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Geometroidea Geometridae Larentiinae Chesiadini APLOCERA Stephens, 1827 Aplocera praeformata (Hübner, [1826]) - Phalaena plagiata (Linnaeus 1758) - GEOMETRA praeformata (Hübner, [1826]) = Larentia cassiata Treitschke, 1828 = Anaitis rosacea Kiefer, 1913 - Geometra praeformata praeformata (Hübner, [1826])) - Sammlung europäischer Schmetterlinge / errichtet von Jacob Hübner in Augsburg. By Hübner, Jacob, 1761-1826 : Lepidoptera V : Geometrae 1 : p.103 - f.532 & 533 - Europe - A.p.gibeauxi Leraut, 1995 - Massif Central & Pyranees (except eastern side) A.p.urbabni Dufay, 1981 - Greece - genatlia difference A.p.praeformata (Hübner, [1826]) - Nominate subspecies |