70.270 : 1947 : (See Note)
Geometridae : Enomminae

The Engrailed

ECTROPIS crepuscularia ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
Picture
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 38-45mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe : Turkey : Central Asia : Siberia : Mongolia : China : Korea : Japan
UK Distribution: Resident.Common in England and Wales : Local and less common in Scotland and Ireland
UK Conservation Status -
  • Common = >300 10Km Squares
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Phalaena bistortata Goeze 1781
Type Species - Ectropis
  • Geometra crepuscularia ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
Type Locality -
  • Not Specified
Flight Period: UK-South-February-Mid May : Mid June-August :  September-October-Trivoltine,the third brood being partial : UK-North-April-Early June-Univoltine
Habitat: Broadleaved woodland : Hedgerows : Parks : Gardens : Scrub
Similar Species -
  • Engrailed Ectropis bistortata Goeze, 1781- considered to be conspecific
Larva: UK-South-Late April-June : Late July-Early September. Larva is polyphagous using food plants from numerous plant families.
Larva is variable but can be straw coloured or dark ruddy brown with occasional black or dark brown markings.
Pupa: Overwinters as a pupa
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The Engrailed is a widely variable species with melanic forms occurring with different frequencies across England and Wales.
Specimens found in the Scottish Highlands tend to be much larger than its predominant form with rich markings of reddish brown.
Second brood individuals are usually much smaller than the previous brood and is weakly marked.

It is extremely difficult to distinguish between the Small Engrailed E.crepuscular and E.bistortata with date record being the most obvious difference as the E.crepuscular flies between May and June which is between broods of E.bistortata.
The Small Engrailed tends to have a paler or whiter background with the well defined blackish-brown cross bands edged with yellow, never brown.

The moth is often found during the day either resting on a tree-trunk or fence but the moth is frequent after dark where it comes to light.

The larva of this moth is polyphagous, and as can be seen below, chooses numerous food plants from many different plant families epitomising why this moth can be found in many habitats from wood to parks and gardens.

Photo Gallery

Larva
Pupa

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 - ECTROPIS:

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Forms/Aberrations:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Geometroidea
Geometridae
Ennominae
Boarmiini
ECTROPIS Hübner, [1825]
Ectropis crepuscularia ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
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Geometra crepuscularia ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
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GEOMETRA crepuscularia ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
= Ectropis bistortata Goeze, 1781
= virginiaria Cramer, 1780
= Ectropis biundulata Villers, 1789
= Ectropis biundularia Borkhausen,1794
= Ectropis strigularia Stephens, 1831
= Ectropis laricaria Doubleday, 1850
= Ectropis occiduaria Guenée, 1857
= Ectropis signaria Walker, 1860
= Ectropis spatiosaria Walker, 1860
= Ectropis intrataria Walker, 1860
= Ectropis cineraria Walker, 1860
= Ectropis abraxaria Walker, 1860
= Ectropis divisaria Walker, 1860
= Ectropis fumataria Minot, 1869
= Ectropis fernaldaria Hulst, 1888
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GEOMETRA crepuscularia crepuscularia Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775
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Ankündung eines systematischen Werkes von den Schmetterlingen der Wienergegend : Title Page : p.101 - n.8
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Austria-Vienna region
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E.c.f.cinerea Lempke, 1952-grey,without yellow or brown,makings normal
E.c.f.intermedia Lempke, 1953-grey brown,markings distinct
E.c.f.flavescens Lempke, 1953-yellowish-grey-yellowish brown,markings normal
E.c.f.obsoleta Lempke, 1953-not dark background,markings feint or missing
E.c.f.fasciata Reuter, 1900-dark line in distal area
E.c.f.obscurata Heinrich, 1917-dark grey-brown,cross-lines distinct
E.c.f.defessaria Freyer, 1848-dark brown with white subterminal line
E.c.f.passetii Thierry-Mieg, 1886-blackish brown,feint markings
E.c.f.extrema Rebel, 1930-balckish with white subterminal line
E.c.f.unicolor Lempke, as above-no white line
E.c.f.marginata Lempke, 1970-strongly coloured in marginal area compared with rest, on all wings
E.c.f.intermedia Lempke, 1953-very light coloured