Geometridae : Geometrinae
Herb Emerald
MICROLOXIA herbaria ( Hübner,[1813])
Herb Emerald
MICROLOXIA herbaria ( Hübner,[1813])
Kind permission - © Tim Norriss
Life Cycle Guide - Europe - Adult Only
Description
Wingspan: 28 - 36mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - ( Excluding - Austria,Azores,Belgium,Canary Is.,Channel Is.,Czech Republic.,Denmark,Estonia,Finland,
Germany,Hungary,Ireland,Latvia,Lithuania,Luxembourg,Madeira,Malta,Norway,Poland,N & NW Russia,Slovakia, Sweden,Switzerland and The Netherlands) : Turkey : Levant : Caucasus : Transcaucasus : N.Iran, mountains (C.Asia) : Afghanistan : Pakistan
UK Distribution: See Observations
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Sunny Open Rocky Ground
Similar Species -
Observations: A new British species moth Microloxia herbaria (Hübner, [1813]) trapped in a suburban garden by M.Casey .on 23 July 2016 in New Costessey just west of Norwich in Norfolk. A second record of this species followed the above on 6 August 2016 (Scott & Holman,2016) in Prestbury,Gloucestershire.
Initial thought were that this species might be a Small Grass Emerald but further investigations with attention to the shape of the antemedian and postmedian white cross lines considered the possibility that this moth was in fact a European species Microloxia herbaria. These white lines were consistent with populations from Italy eastwards through Europe whilst populations from Corsica,Balearics and Iberian Peninsula had weak or absent white fasciae. (See Photo)
The moth is not migratory so how did it get there?
Further investigations by M.C found they were in the vicinity of a local Garden Centre where further investigation highlighted a recent shipment of Palms from the Italian Island of Sardinia. It is thought to be an adventive species (Appendix A) and has been given the vernacular name of Herb Emerald.
In consultation with authors of the new British Checklist (Agassiz. Et al., 2013) the checklist number is 70.3075
The moth is a Mediterranean species from southern Portugal,southern France,Italy,Balkans,nearly all Mediterranean Islands,Turkey,Cyprus,northern Iran eastwards to central Asia.
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - ( Excluding - Austria,Azores,Belgium,Canary Is.,Channel Is.,Czech Republic.,Denmark,Estonia,Finland,
Germany,Hungary,Ireland,Latvia,Lithuania,Luxembourg,Madeira,Malta,Norway,Poland,N & NW Russia,Slovakia, Sweden,Switzerland and The Netherlands) : Turkey : Levant : Caucasus : Transcaucasus : N.Iran, mountains (C.Asia) : Afghanistan : Pakistan
UK Distribution: See Observations
UK Conservation Status -
- Vagrant/Accidental
- Least Concern
- Geometra herbaria (Hübner,[1813])
- Geometra herbaria (Hübner,[1813])
- SE Europe
Habitat: Sunny Open Rocky Ground
Similar Species -
- Small Grass Emerald - Chlorissa viridata - (Linnaeus, 1758)
Observations: A new British species moth Microloxia herbaria (Hübner, [1813]) trapped in a suburban garden by M.Casey .on 23 July 2016 in New Costessey just west of Norwich in Norfolk. A second record of this species followed the above on 6 August 2016 (Scott & Holman,2016) in Prestbury,Gloucestershire.
Initial thought were that this species might be a Small Grass Emerald but further investigations with attention to the shape of the antemedian and postmedian white cross lines considered the possibility that this moth was in fact a European species Microloxia herbaria. These white lines were consistent with populations from Italy eastwards through Europe whilst populations from Corsica,Balearics and Iberian Peninsula had weak or absent white fasciae. (See Photo)
The moth is not migratory so how did it get there?
Further investigations by M.C found they were in the vicinity of a local Garden Centre where further investigation highlighted a recent shipment of Palms from the Italian Island of Sardinia. It is thought to be an adventive species (Appendix A) and has been given the vernacular name of Herb Emerald.
In consultation with authors of the new British Checklist (Agassiz. Et al., 2013) the checklist number is 70.3075
The moth is a Mediterranean species from southern Portugal,southern France,Italy,Balkans,nearly all Mediterranean Islands,Turkey,Cyprus,northern Iran eastwards to central Asia.
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.
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.
- Asteraceae - Compositae - Aster-Daisy - Sunflower Family
- Helichrysum stoechas - Common Shrubby Everlasting
- Vernonia centaureoides - No Common Name
- Lamiaceae - Labiatae - The Mint Family
- Mentha suaveolens - Apple Mint,Round-Leaved Mint
- Teucrium flavum - Yellow Germander
- Teucrium polium - Felty Germander
- Rosaceae - Rose Family
- Prunus spinosa - Blackthorn - Sloe (Britain)
- Prunus spinosa - Blackthorn - Sloe (Britain)
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - MICROLOXIA: Original Species Name: Species Names: Nominotypical Subspecies: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Subspecies: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Geometroidea Geometridae Geometrinae Microloxiini MICROLOXIA Warren 1893 Microloxia herbaria ( Hübner,[1813]) - Geometra herbaria Hübner, 1813 - GEOMETRA herbaria ( Hübner,[1813]) = Geometra graminaria Zeller, 1849 = Nemoria bruandaria Millière, 1860 = monotona Reisser, 1926 - Geometra herbaria herbaria ( Hübner,[1813]) - Sammlung europäischer Schmetterlinge / errichtet von Jacob Hübner in Augsburg. By Hübner, Jacob, 1761-1826 : Lepidoptera V : Geometrae 1 : p.79 - fig.407 - SE Europe - M.h.herbaria ( Hübner,[1813]) - Nominate Subspecies M.h.advolata (Eversmann, 1837) - Volga Plain, Ural River plain, Kazakhstan, Altai, N.Kirgisia M.h.viridecilliata (Bubacek 1926) - Corsica - Note :- possible synonym of nominate subspecies - Microloxia herbaria ( Hübner,[1813]) ( = viridecilliata (Bubacek 1926) |