70.274 : 1951 : 7802
Geometridae : Ennominae

Grey Birch

AETHALURA punctulata ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
Picture
Kind permission - © Tim Norriss
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 30-35mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - less - Canary Isles,Croatia,Greece,Sicily and most Mediterranean Islands - to W Siberia & Caucusus
UK Distribution: SE England - well distributed,fairly frequent : E Anglia,Midlands,Lincolnshire,Yorkshire,Wales,SW England - local : Cumbria - very local : Scotland - recorded mainly in west
UK Conservation Status -
  • Common = > 300 10km squares
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Phalaena punctulata ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
Type Species - Aethalura
  • Boarmia intertexta Walker, 1860
Type Locality -
  • Austria - near Vienna
Flight Period: South - April - July : Elsewhere - May - June
Habitat: Birch Woodland : Birch Scrub
Similar Species -
  • Dotted Carpet - Alcis jubata -  (Thunberg, 1788)
  • Brussels Lace - Cleorodes lichenaria - (Hufnagel, 1767)
Larva: The 30mm final instar larva is either green or brown with a white dorsal line and series of thinner white lines on top and along the sides of the larva.The head is greenish with black mottling.Some larva have dorsal dark blotches which are on the rear face of the abdominal segments.
Pupa: Pupates overwinter in a cocoon just below the soil
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: A small moth with grey forewings and eight black blotches along the costa which sometimes form cross lines across the forewing. The forewing is usually light to dark grey although with certain forms they are blackish grey.
The Dotted Carpet is the same size as this moth but with whiter forewing and more conspicuous black marking. The Brussels Lace tends to have a greenish hue and the subterminal cross line is strongly dentate.

The moth is attracted to light and sometimes appears in reasonable 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 AETHALURA:

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Type Locality:

Forms:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Geometroidea
Geometridae
Ennominae
Boarmiini
AUETHALURA McDunnough, 1920
Aethalura punctulata ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
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Boarmia intertexta Walker, 1860
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PHALAENA punctulata ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
= Boarmia punctulata
= punctularia (Hübner,[1787])
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Ankündung eines systematischen Werkes von den Schmetterlingen der Wienergegend : Title Page : p.106 - n.13
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Austria - near Vienna
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A.p.f.trilineata Bruckova, 1945 - three distinct cross lines
A.p.f.marginata Lempke, 1953 - outer area dark on all wings
A.p.f.albescens Prout, 1915 - Wing background almost white
A.p.f.intermedia Lempke, 1953 - wings dark grey,markings distinct
A.p.f.obscuraria Paux, 1901 - blackish grey wings
A.p.f.costijuncta Lempke, 1970 - thick black costal band
A.p.f.anastomosaria Lempke, 1970 - first and second cross lines touching