70.256 : 1935 : 7699
Geometridae : Enomminae

Mottled Umber

ERANNIS defoliaria (Clerck, 1759)
Picture
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 40-45mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe,eastwards to Kazakhstan and southwards into North Africa
UK Distribution: England,Wales,lowland Scotland to Inner Hebrides - well distributed and generally abundant : Isle of Man - local and infrequent : Ireland - quite well distributed : Channel Isles - widespread but occasional
UK Conservation Status -
  • Common = > 300 10km squares
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Phalaena defoliaria (Clerck, 1759)
Type Species - Erannis
  • [Phalaena] defoliaria (Clerck, 1759)
Type Locality -
  • Not specified on original publication
Flight Period:
Habitat: Woodland : Hedges : Gardens : Parkland
Similar Species -
  • Scarce Umber - Agriopis aurantiaria  (Hübner, 1799)
  • Dotted Border - Agriopis marginaria (Fabricius, 1777)
Larva: The 30mm final instar larva is greyish and heavily marked with reddish brown,although the rare dark form are black. The subdorsal line is black and undulating for most of the length of the larva and has yellow blotches below this line.The head is reddish-brown and the spiracles are white ringed with black.
Overwinters as: Ovum
Observations: This moth is extremely variable and has many forms but has elements which assist in identification like the inner and outer cross bands where present are usually brown or blackish and undulating and usually accompanied with a dark discal spot.The ground colour varies between white and ruddy brown.
The hindwing is generally off-white with a dark brown central spot.

The similar species Dotted Border - Agriopis marginaria (Fabricius, 1777) has a row of terminal dots which give this moth its name and usually flies from February although rare sightings late in the year do occur in the south.The similar species Scarce Umber - Agriopis aurantiaria  (Hübner, 1799)  is always golden yelllow.

The moth is attracted to light where they appear at the moth trap often in large numbers.


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.
Larval Food Plants
Taxonomy
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Type Species - ERANNIS:

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Forms:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Geometroidea
Geometridae
Ennominae
Bistonini
ERANNIS Hübner, [1825)
Erannis defoliaria (Clerck, 1759)
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[Phalena] defoliaria (Clerck, 1759)
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PHALAENA defoliaria (Clerck, 1759)
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Clerck, C. 1759.Icones insectorum rariorum cum nomibus eorum trivialibus, locique e C. Linnæi. - pp. [1-10], Title Page Tab. 1-16. Holmiæ.  pl.7, fig.4
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Not specified on original publication
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E.d.f.deumbrata Lempke, 1953 - postmedial line almost missing
E.d.f.trifasciata Schawerda, 1914 - cross lines present with additional median line
E.d.f.depuncta Lempke, 1953 - discal spot missing
E.d.f.albescens Schawerda, 1914 - whitish form,pale markings
E.d.f.holmgreni Lampa, 1885 - Shades of yellowish or yellow-brown
E.d.f.suffusa Cockerell, 1886 - dark brown with black discal spot
E.d.f.obscurata Staudinger, 1901 - dark to extremely dark brown
E.d.f.obscura Helfer, 1896 - background normal,cross lines blackish brown
E.d.f.fuscosignata Heinrich, 1916 - background normal,cross lines brown
E.d.f.trasitoria Lempke, 1953 - pale brown,feint cross lines
E.d.f.obscuratafasciata Lempke, 1953 - darkish brown,cross lines darker brown
E.d.f.brunnescens Rebel, 1910 - dark brown,cross lines and discal spot visible,brown lines stand out
E.d.f. progressiva Haverkampf,1906 - dark brown with blackish lines
E.d.f. destrigata Gornik, 1932 - cross lines missing
E.d.f. unistrigata Lempke, 1953 - basal line missing
E.d.f. tangens Cockayne, 1942 - cross lines join
E.d.f. fumosa Lempke, 1970 - four wings suffused with dark scales giving forewings black-brown & hindwings dark grey hue
E.d.f. nigra Bandermann, 1928 - smokey blackish brown(forewing distal margin stays russet)(also name for black female)