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Geometer moth
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Geometridae | ||||||||||||||
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 Xanthotype urticaria
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| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
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| Diversity | ||||||||||||||
| about 2,000 genera 26,000 species |
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| Type species | ||||||||||||||
| Geometra papilionaria (large emerald moth) |
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Alsophilinae |
The geometer moths or Geometridae are a family of the order Lepidoptera. A very large family with around 26,000 species of moths described (over 300 of which occur in the British Isles), it notably includes the peppered moth, Biston betularia.
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Many Geometrids have slender abdomens and broad wings which are usually held flat with the hindwings visible. As such they appear rather butterfly-like but in most respects they are typical moths: the majority fly at night, they possess a frenulum to link the wings and the antennae of the males are often feathered. They tend to blend in to the background, often with intricate, wavy patterns on their wings. In some species, females have reduced wings (e.g. winter moth and fall cankerworm).
Most are of moderate size, about 3 cm across but a range of sizes occur. They have distinctive paired tympanal organs at the base of the abdomen (lacking in flightless females).
The name Geometer (earth-measurer) refers to the means of locomotion of the larvae or caterpillars, which lack most of the prolegs of other Lepidopteran caterpillars. Equipped with appendages at both ends of the body, a caterpillar will clasp with its front legs and draw up the hind end, then clasp with the hind end (prolegs) and reach out for a new front attachment - creating the impression that it is measuring its journey. The caterpillars are accordingly called loopers, spanworms, or inchworms. They tend to be green, grey, or brownish and hide from predators by fading into the background or resembling twigs. Some have humps or filaments (see Filament-bearer image). They are seldom hairy or gregarious. Typically they eat leaves. However, some eat lichen, flowers or pollen. Some, such as the Hawaiian species of the genus Eupithecia, are even carnivorous.
Species include (organized as commonly agreed in 1990):
Archiearinae -- 12 species, Holarctic & south Andes & Tasmania. Larvae have all the prolegs except most are reduced.
- The infant Archiearis infans (Möschler, 1862)
- Scarce infant Leucobrephos brephoides (Walker, 1857)
Ennominae-- 9700 species, including some pest defoliators; global distribution
- Latticed Heath (Semiothisa clathrata)
- Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)
- Purple Thorn (Selenia tetralunaria)
- Scalloped Hazel (Odontopera bidentata)
- Scalloped Oak (Crocallis elinguaria)
- Swallow-tailed Moth (Ourapteryx sambucaria)
- Feathered Thorn (Colotois pennaria)
- Peppered moth (Biston betularia)
- Spring Cankerworm (Paleacrita vernata)
- Dotted Border (Agriopis marginaria)
- Mottled Umber (Erannis defoliaria)
- Clouded Border (Lomaspilis marginata)
- Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria)
- Mottled Beauty (Alcis repandata)
- The Engrailed (Ectropis crepuscularia)
- Bordered White (Bupalus piniaria)
- Common White Wave (Cabera pusaria)
- Common Wave (Cabera exanthemata)
- Light Emerald (Campaea margaritata)
Oenochrominae -- includes some genera that are just difficult to place in other groups
Alsophilinae -- one genus, defoliators of trees
- Fall cankerworm (Alsophila pometaria)
- March moth (Alsophila aescularia)
Desmobathrinae -- Pantropical
Geometrinae -- Emerald moths, 2300 named species, most tropical
- Large emerald moth (Geometra papilionaria)
- Blotched Emerald (Comibaena bajularia)
- Common Emerald (Hemithea aestivaria)
- Essex Emerald (Thetidia smaragdaria)
Sterrhinae -- 2800 species, mostly tropical
- Blood-vein (Timandra griseata)
- Small Fan-footed Wave (Idaea biselata)
- Small Dusty Wave (Idaea seriata)
- Riband Wave (Idaea aversata)
- Cream Wave (Scopula floslactata)
- Zachera Moth (Semiothisa zachera)
Larentiinae-- 5700 species, mostly temperate
- Silver-ground Carpet (Xanthorhoe montanata)
- Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata)
- Common Carpet (Epirrhoe alternata)
- The Spinach (Eulithis mellinata)
- Barred Straw (Eulithis pyraliata)
- Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata)
- Juniper Carpet (Thera juniperata)
- May Highflyer (Hydriomena impluviata)
- November Moth (Epirrita dilutata)
- Pale November Moth (Epirrita christyi)
- Autumnal Moth (Epirrita autumnata)
- Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata)
- The Streak (Chesias legatella)
- Treble-bar (Aplocera plagiata)
- Argent and Sable moth (Rheumaptera hastata)
Pugs are included in Larentiinae:
- Slender Pug (Eupithecia tenuiata)
- Foxglove Pug (Eupithecia pulchellata)
- Mottled Pug (Eupithecia exiguata)
- Lime-speck Pug (Eupithecia centaureata)
- Wormwood Pug (Eupithecia absinthiata)
- Currant Pug (Eupithecia assimilata)
- Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata)
- Grey Pug (Eupithecia subfuscata)
- Tawny Speckled Pug (Eupithecia icterata)
- Bordered Pug (Eupithecia succenturiata)
- Ash Pug (Eupithecia fraxinata)
- Golden-rod Pug (Eupithecia virgaureata)
- Juniper Pug (Eupithecia pusillata)
- The V-Pug (Chloroclystis v-ata)
- Green Pug (Chloroclystis rectangulata) --
- Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata)
- Scoble, MJ (ed.) 1999. Geometrid Moths of the World: A Catalogue. CSIRO Publishing. ISBN 0-643-06304-8
- Minet, J and MJ Scoble. 1999 The Drepanoid / Geometroid Assemblage. Ch 17 in Kristensen, N.P. (Ed.). Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies. Volume 1: Evolution, Systematics, and Biogeography. Handbuch der Zoologie. Eine Naturgeschichte der Stämme des Tierreiches / Handbook of Zoology. A Natural History of the phyla of the Animal Kingdom. Band / Volume IV Arthropoda: Insecta Teilband / Part 35: 491 pp. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, New York.
- Hausmann, A. 2001. The geometrid moths of Europe. v. 1. Introduction. Archiearinae, Orthostixinae, Desmobathrinae, Alsophilinae, Geometrinae -- v. 4. Larentiinae II (Perizomini and Eupitheciini). Apollo books.