Geometridae : Enomminae
Mottled Umber
ERANNIS defoliaria (Clerck, 1759)
Mottled Umber
ERANNIS defoliaria (Clerck, 1759)
Life Cycle Guide
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 -
Habitat: Woodland : Hedges : Gardens : Parkland
Similar Species -
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.
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
- Least Concern
- Phalaena defoliaria (Clerck, 1759)
- [Phalaena] defoliaria (Clerck, 1759)
- Not specified on original publication
Habitat: Woodland : Hedges : Gardens : Parkland
Similar Species -
- Scarce Umber - Agriopis aurantiaria (Hübner, 1799)
- Dotted Border - Agriopis marginaria (Fabricius, 1777)
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.
- Aceraceae - Maple Family
- Acer pseudoplatanus - Sycamore
- Berberidaceae - Barberry Family
- Berberis vulgaris - European Barberry
- Betulaceae - The Birch Family
- Betula pendula - Silver Birch
- Betula pubescens - Downy Birch
- Carpinus betulus - Hornbeam
- Corylus avellana - Hazel
- Caprifoliaceae - Honeysuckle Family
- Lonicera involucrata syn xylosteum - Twinberry-Dwarf Honeysuckle
- Elaeagnaceae - Oleaster Family
- Hippophae rhamnoides - Sea Buckthorn
- Ericaceae - Heather Family
- Vaccinium myrtilus - Bilberry - Blue Whortleberry
- Fagaceae - Oak - Chestnut - Beech Family
- Castanea sativa - Sweet Chestnut
- Fagus sylvatica - Beech
- Quercus petraea - Sessile Oak
- Quercus robur - Pedunculate Oak - Common Oak
- Grossulariaceae - Currant Family
- Ribes alpinum - Alpine Currant
- Ribes nigrum - Blackcurrant
- Ribes rubrum - Redcurrant
- Ribes uva-crispa - Gooseberry
- Pinaceae - Pine Family
- Abies firma - Momi Fir - Japanese Fir
- Larix kaempferi - Japanese Larch
- Rosaceae - Rose Family
- Crataegus laevigata - Midland Hawthorn
- Crataegus monogyna - Hawthorn
- Malus pumila - Paradise Apple
- Prunus domestica - Bullace - Plum
- Prunus padus - Bird Cherry - Hackberry
- Prunus persica - Peach
- Prunus spinosa - Blackthorn - Sloe
- Rosa canina - Dog Rose
- Sorbus aucuparia - Mountain Ash - Rowan
- Sorbus hybrida - Swedish Service Tree
- Sorbus intermedia - Swedish Whitebeam
- Salicaceae - Willow Family
- Salix caprea - Goat Willow
- Tiliaceae - Lime Family
- Tilia cordata - Small-leaved Lime
- Tilia platyphyllos - Large-leaved Lime
- Ulmaceae - Elm Family
- Ulmus glabra - Wych Elm - Scots Elm
- Note - Larvae also feed on the following plant families
- Aceraceae - Acer - Maple
- Betulaceae - Betula - Birch
- Rosaceae - Cotoneaster, Pyrus - Pear, Rosa - Rose
- Note - Larvae also feed on the following plant families
- Ulmus glabra - Wych Elm - Scots Elm
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - ERANNIS: Original Species Name: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Forms: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Geometroidea Geometridae Ennominae Bistonini ERANNIS Hübner, [1825) Erannis defoliaria (Clerck, 1759) - [Phalena] defoliaria (Clerck, 1759) - PHALAENA defoliaria (Clerck, 1759) - 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 - Not specified on original publication - 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) |