70.277 : 1955 : 7824
Geometridae : Ennominae

Common White Wave

CABERA pusaria (Linnaeus, 1758)
Picture
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 25-28mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe as far east as the Amur region of N E China-S E Siberia
UK Distribution: Resident : Common & well distributed throughout Britain except high altitudes: Isle of Man-local : Ireland-quite well distributed : Channel Islands-widespread and frequent
UK Conservation Status -
  • Common = >300 10Km Squares
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Phalaena pusaria (Linnaeus, 1758)
Type Species - Cabera
  • Phalaena pusaria (Linnaeus, 1758)
Type Locality -
  • Europe-locality unknown
Flight Period: South-May to July & August to September-bivoltine : Scotland-May to September continuous-peaking late June-July
Habitat: Woodland : Scrub
Similar Species -
  • Common Wave Cabera exanthemata Scopoli, 1763
Larva: The final instar larva is usually green with ruddy patches at head and rear and ruddy marks at each abdominal segment-viewed from top.Alternative colour can be ruddy red all over. Larva-June -September
Pupa: Pupates among plant material
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The moth is white covered in varying degrees of grey scales with a series of clearly defined cross-lines n light grey.
The latter is not always the case and on the taxonomy page there are subspecies with cross-line varying from zero to four.
The similar species the Common Wave C.exanthemata Scopoli, 1763 is slightly larger than the Common White Wave C.pusaria Linnaeus, 1758 and has cross-lines that are light-brown and wavy and the forewings are more rounded.

The moth is attracted to light and can be found in small numbers at the light trap
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 - CABERA:

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Forms/Aberrations:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Geometroidea
Geometridae
Ennominae
Caberini
CABERA Treitschke 1825
Cabera pusaria (Linnaeus, 1758)
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Phalaena pusaria (Linnaeus, 1758)
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PHALAENA pusaria (Linnaeus, 1758)
= Cabera strigata Scopoli, 1763
= Cabera rotundaria Haworth 1809
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Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title page : p.522 - n.150
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Europe-locality unknown
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C.p.f.heyerria Herrich-Schäffer,1847-Duller with dark grey scales
C.p.f.flavescens Lempke, 1939-yellowish
C.p.f.posteropunctata Lempke, 1939-small black discal spot on hindwing
C.p.f.quadripunctata Lempke, 1939-small dark discal spot-all wings
C.p.f.rotundaria Haworth, 1809-antemedial and median line closer together
C.p.f.belineata Galvagni, 1928-two cross-lines instead of three
C.p.f.linearia Debauche, 1929-only one cross-line
C.p.f.ablataria Fuchs, 1899-very feint cross-lines
C.p.f.inornaria Meves, 1914-no cross-lines
C.p.f.crassesignata Lempke, 1939-cross-lines broad
C.p.f.quadrilineata Boldt 1939-four cross-lines
C.p.f.irrorata Lempke, 1939-wings marked with small dark streaks