Geometridae : Ennominae
Early Thorn
SELENIA dentaria (Fabricius, 1775)
Early Thorn
SELENIA dentaria (Fabricius, 1775)
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 40-51mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe east to Kamchatka
UK Distribution: Well distributed/fairly frequent throughout the British isles,Ireland,Channel Isles & Isle of Man
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Woods : Gardens : Parkland : Hedgerows
Similar Species -
Pupa: Pupates among spun leaves
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The settled position of this moth clearly defines this species from all the other "Thorns",never opening its wings in a similar way to some of the summer butterflies.
Of the two generations the summer species tend to be smaller and brightly coloured.
The moth flies from dusk and attracted to light and is a regular visitor to the light trap or the lighted windows as was the one found above.
Worldwide Distribution: Europe east to Kamchatka
UK Distribution: Well distributed/fairly frequent throughout the British isles,Ireland,Channel Isles & Isle of Man
UK Conservation Status -
- Common = >300 10Km Squares
- Least Concern
- Phalaena dentaria Fabricius, 1775
- Geometra illunaria Hübner, 1799
- England ("Anglia")
Habitat: Woods : Gardens : Parkland : Hedgerows
Similar Species -
- None
Pupa: Pupates among spun leaves
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The settled position of this moth clearly defines this species from all the other "Thorns",never opening its wings in a similar way to some of the summer butterflies.
Of the two generations the summer species tend to be smaller and brightly coloured.
The moth flies from dusk and attracted to light and is a regular visitor to the light trap or the lighted windows as was the one found above.
Photo gallery
Identification Guide - Early/Purple/Lunar Thorn
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.
- Aceraceae - Maple Family
- Acer platanoides - Norway Maple
- Betulaceae - The Birch Family
- Alnus incana - Grey Alder
- Betula pendula - Silver Birch
- Betula pubescens - Downy Birch
- Corylus avellana - Hazel
- Caprifoliaceae - Honeysuckle Family
- Lonicera periclymenum - Wild Honeysuckle
- Ericaceae - Heather Family
- Calluna vulgaris - Common Heather - Ling
- Ledum palustre - Wild Rosemary
- Vaccinium myrtilus - Bilberry - Blue Whortleberry
- Vaccinium uliginosum - Bog Bilberry - Northern Bilberry
- Grossulariaceae - Currant Family
- Ribes rubrum - Redcurrant
- Myricaceae - Wax-myrtle Family
- Myrica gale - Bog Myrtle
- Rhamnaceae - The Buckthorn Family
- Rhamnus frangula - Alder Buckthorn
- Rosaceae - Rose Family
- Filipendula ulmaria - Meadowsweet
- Crataegus monogyna - Hawthorn
- Prunus padus - Bird Cherry - Hackberry
- Rubus idaeus - Raspberry - Framboise
- Sorbus aucuparia - Mountain Ash - Rowan
- Salicaceae - Willow Family
- Salix bebbiana - Beak - Bebb Willow
- Tiliaceae - Lime - Linden Family
- Tilia cordata - Small-leaved Lime
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - SELENIA: Original Species Name: Species Name: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Forms/Aberrations: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Geometroidea Geometridae Ennominae Ennomini SELENIA Hübner [1823] Selenia dentaria (Fabricius, 1775) - Geometra illunaria Hübner, 1799(syn Phalaena dentaria (Fabricius, 1775) - = PHALAENA dentaria (Fabricius, 1775) = Phalaena (Geometra) bilunaria Esper, 1795 = Selenia dentaria alpestris Wehrli, 1940 = Selenia bilunaria Esper, 1801 = Ennomos illunaria Hübner, 1799 = Geometra illunaria (Fabricius, 1775) - "Systema Entomologiae", sistens insectorvm classes, ordines, genera, species, adiectis synonymis, locis, descriptionibvs, observationibvs. - pp. [1-31], 1-832. Flensbvrgi, Lipsiae. (Kort). : Title Page : p.623 - n.15 - England ("Anglia") - S.d.f.illunaria Esper, 1795-summer form-small with orange hue,less darker shades S.d.f.harrisoni Wagner, 1928-melanistic form S.d.f.griscens Lempke, 1951-greyish without yellow tone S.d.f.obscura Lempke, 1951-grey-black S.d.f.rufescens Lempke, 1951-russet |