70.301 : 1668 : 7975
Geometridae : Geometrinae

Essex Emerald

THETIDIA smaragdaria (Prout,1935)

Subspecies
T.s.maritima (Prout, 1935)
British subspecies previously found only in Kent & Essex,now considered extinct
Picture
Kind permission - © Tim Norriss
Life Cycle Guide - Europe
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 33 - 35mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - less (Channel Isles,Ireland,Portugal,Sweden,Netherlands and most Mediterranean Islands ) - Temperate Palearctic Region - to China-Siberia border and Japan
UK Distribution: Now Extinct
UK Conservation Status -
  • Presumed Extinct
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Phalaena smaragdaria (Prout,1935)
Type Species - Thetidia
  • Thetidia plusiaria Boisduval, 1840
Type Locality -
  • Austria
Flight Period: Europe - June - July & August - September - two generations
Habitat: Saltmarshes (Europe & Britain) : River Banks (Europe) : Sunny Rocky Slopes (Europe)
Similar Species -
  • None
Larva: The 29mm final instar larva is light brown mottled with darker brown,appearing very wrinkled. The dorsal line is blackish brown. The larva is camouflaged by covering itself with plant material.
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: The moth is now presumed extinct with the last Essex colony dying out in 1985 and the last Kent record being recorded in 1991.
The moth's range is from southern Spain to south of Finland,western Russia and Sicily to Caucasus,west of Asian side of Turkey to China - Siberia border and Japan.
There are a few subspecies,the Essex and Kent one being T.s.maritima Prout, 1935 which is reconised by the strong cross lines(see below).
Subspecies
T.s.maritima Prout, 1935 - Essex(Thames Estuary) & Kent (Isle of Sheppey) - strong cross lines
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
Kingdom:
Subkingdom:
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Accepted Species Name:

Type Species THETIDIA:

Original Species Name:
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Literary Ref:

Type Locality:

Subspecies:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Geometroidea
Geometridae
Geomerinae
Comibaenini
THETIDIA Boisduval 1840
Thetidia smaragdaria (Prout,1935)
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Thetidia plusiaria Boisduval, 1840
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PHALAENA smaragdaria (Prout,1935)
= Antonechloris smaragdaria Fabricius, 1787
= Phalaena smaragdaria Fabricius, 1787
= Geometra prasinaria Eversmann 1837
= Phorodesma castiliaria Staudinger 1892
= Euchloris smaragrdaria maritima Prout, 1935
= Thetidia alinea Burrows, 1900
= Ploettnera caeruleoviridis Burrows, 1900
= Thetidia obsoleta Burrows, 1900
= Thetidia unilinea Burrows, 1900
= Thetidia (Antonechloris) smaragdaria
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Mantissa Insectorum 2 : Title Page : p.192 - n.67
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Austria
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T.s.gigantea Milliére, 1874 - central Spain - larger and paler
T.s.maritima Prout, 1935 - Essex(Thames Estuary) & Kent (Isle of Sheppey) - strong cross lines
T.s.volgaria Guenée, 1858 - south eastern Europe - smaller,cross ines more pronounced,green tending towards yellow
T.s.mongolica Staudinger, 1897 - Mongolia
T.s.anomica Prout, 1935 - mountains central Asia
T.s.amurensis Prout, 1935 - South east Siberia and Japan