Common marbled carpet

The common marbled carpet (Dysstroma truncata) is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is sometimes placed in the genus Chloroclysta. It is very common throughout the Palearctic region and the Near East. The species was first described by Johann Siegfried Hufnagel in 1767.

Common marbled carpet
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Geometridae
Genus:
Dysstroma
Species:
D. truncata
Binomial name
Dysstroma truncata
(Hufnagel, 1767)
Synonyms
  • Chloroclysta truncata (Hufnagel, 1767)
  • Larentia truncata
  • Cidaria truncata

This is one of the most variable of the geometrids both in size (wingspan 32–39 mm) and colour. The basal and terminal areas of the forewings are marked with fascia separated by a large plain area in the middle, but the colouration of all these areas is confusingly variable from white to black with various grey, brown and reddish tones in between. The hindwings, though, are always pale grey marked with faint fascia. One or two broods are produced each year and the adults can be seen in any month from May to November. The species flies at night and is attracted to light. It is also attracted to nectar-rich flowers and sugary foods which is fairly unusual for the family.

The larva is slender and green, usually with reddish stripes. It has been recorded feeding on a wide range of plants (see list below). The species overwinters as a larva.

Caterpillar
Larva on a strawberry plant. Note the match between the reddish stripe on the larva and on the petioles.
  1. ^ The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.

Recorded food plants
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References
  • Chinery, Michael Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe 1986 (Reprinted 1991)
  • Skinner, Bernard Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles 1984


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