Geometridae : Enomminae
Peacock Moth
MACARIA notata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Peacock Moth
MACARIA notata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Kind permission - © Tim Norriss
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Alternative Name: Birch Angled Moth (USA)
Wingspan: 28-32mm
Worldwide Distribution: Northern Europe : Central Europe : Siberia : reaching to China and Korea : North America
UK Distribution: Local but well distributed in Southern and South-east England : Thinly distributed in South-west England,South-west Wales, Western Scotland,South-west Ireland and the Channel Isles.
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Open woodland with Birch usually on calcareous soil : Wooded Heathland
Similar Species -
Larva: Late June-Early August : UK-South-again in September. Although the larval food plant is usually Birch it is also known to feed on Sallow and Alder. The caterpillar is dark ruddy brown with intermittent green patches laterally when viewed from the side. As a "looper" it has two pairs of legs at the rear and three pairs of legs at the front of the caterpillar."Looper" is named from the walking gait as the caterpillar's body arches or loops as it walks.
Pupa: Overwinters as pupa in plant debris
Observations: Often confused with the similar species M.alternata but does not have the dark cross band that runs through the forewing "paw print" mark.
The scolloped cutouts just below the forewing apex have a dark,almost black,edge with M.alternata, whereas with M.notata this edge is narrower and brown.
The "paw print" mark on the forewings of M.alternata are smaller and less defined and the brown blotch on the leading edge of the forewing is narrower and more tapered.
Moth flies at dusk and is also attracted to light,albeit in small numbers.
The North american name for this moth is Birch Angled Moth which clearly describes the contour and larval food plant requirement for the Peacock Moth.
Wingspan: 28-32mm
Worldwide Distribution: Northern Europe : Central Europe : Siberia : reaching to China and Korea : North America
UK Distribution: Local but well distributed in Southern and South-east England : Thinly distributed in South-west England,South-west Wales, Western Scotland,South-west Ireland and the Channel Isles.
UK Conservation Status -
- Local = 101 - 300 10Km Squares
- Least Concern
- Phalaena notata (Linnaeus 1758)
- [Phalaena] liturata Clerck, 1759
- Europe
Habitat: Open woodland with Birch usually on calcareous soil : Wooded Heathland
Similar Species -
- Sharp-angled Peacock Macaria alternata ([Denis & Schiffermuuller], 1775)
Larva: Late June-Early August : UK-South-again in September. Although the larval food plant is usually Birch it is also known to feed on Sallow and Alder. The caterpillar is dark ruddy brown with intermittent green patches laterally when viewed from the side. As a "looper" it has two pairs of legs at the rear and three pairs of legs at the front of the caterpillar."Looper" is named from the walking gait as the caterpillar's body arches or loops as it walks.
Pupa: Overwinters as pupa in plant debris
Observations: Often confused with the similar species M.alternata but does not have the dark cross band that runs through the forewing "paw print" mark.
The scolloped cutouts just below the forewing apex have a dark,almost black,edge with M.alternata, whereas with M.notata this edge is narrower and brown.
The "paw print" mark on the forewings of M.alternata are smaller and less defined and the brown blotch on the leading edge of the forewing is narrower and more tapered.
Moth flies at dusk and is also attracted to light,albeit in small numbers.
The North american name for this moth is Birch Angled Moth which clearly describes the contour and larval food plant requirement for the Peacock Moth.
Subspecies
M.n.notata Linnaeus, 1758-N.Europe : Central Europe : Siberia
Northwest Territories - S.Canada, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Colorado, Connecticut
M.n.notata Linnaeus, 1758-N.Europe : Central Europe : Siberia
Northwest Territories - S.Canada, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Colorado, Connecticut
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.
- Betulaceae - The Birch Family
- Betula pubescens - White Birch - Downy Birch
Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - MACARIA: Original Species Name: Species Name: Genus Group Name: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Forms/Aberrations: Subspecies: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Geometroidea Geometridae Ennominae Macariini MACARIA Curtis, 1826 Macaria notata (Linnaeus, 1758) - [Phalaena] liturata Clerck, 1759 - PHALAENA notata (Linnaeus 1758) = Semiothisa notata - = MACARIA Curtis 1826 = Pygmaena Boisduval 1840 - Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title page : p.523 - n.157 - Europe - M.n.f.agraptus Schultz, 1930-Postmedial spot missing on forewing M.n.f.fusca Lempke, 1953-Background colour duller M.n.f.lineata Lempke, 1970-Forewing-prominent cross-lines - M.n.notata Linnaeus, 1758-N.Europe : Central Europe : Siberia : Northwest Territories - S.Canada, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Colorado, Connecticut M.n.kirina Wehrli, 1940-SE.Siberia : Korea : Japan M.n.appalachiana Ferguson, 2008-North Carolina : West Virginia : Virginia : Tennessee : NA.Georgia |