Mottled beauty

The mottled beauty (Alcis repandata) is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.

Mottled beauty
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Alcis
Species:
A. repandata
Binomial name
Alcis repandata
Synonyms
  • Phalaena repandata Linnaeus, 1758
  • Alcis repandatus
  • Boarmia repandata

Subspecies and forms

Subspecies and forms include: [1]

Male Alcis repandata f. conversaria
  • Alcis repandata muraria
  • Alcis repandata repandata
  • Alcis repandata sodorensium
  • Alcis repandata f. conversaria
  • Alcis repandata f. nigricata

Distribution

Alcis repandata is a common species of Europe and the Near East, extending throughout Europe to the Urals, in the south over the Mediterranean, Asia Minor, the Caucasus to Kazakhstan and in the north to the Arctic Circle. [2]

Habitat

The species inhabits deciduous, mixed and coniferous forests, bushy heaths, meadows, marshes and settlement areas. In the Alps occurs up to 1800 meters.

Description
Adult moth

Alcis repandata has a wingspan reaching 30–45 mm. [3] This is an extremely variable species, [3] typically being buff or grey with black bars along the costa, but often with a broad blackish band across the forewings.

Melanic forms are also common, especially in industrial areas. In all but the darkest variations the most characteristic feature is a pale zigzag line across the hindwing.

This species is rather similar to Willow Beauty ( Peribatodes rhomboidaria).

Biology

This moth flies at night in June and July and is attracted to light. [3]

The larva feeds on the leaves and soft bark of a wide range of trees and other plants[3] (see list below).

The species overwinters as a small larva.

  1. ^ The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.

Recorded food plants

Host plants include:[4]

  • Caterpillar
  • Chrysalis
  • Imago
  • Mounted specimen
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gollark: Well, yes, golang bad.
gollark: ++choice 100001 apioid
gollark: ++choice 10001 apioid
gollark: Aha, server is *up*, apioprotocols are *initiating*.

References
  1. Biolib
  2. Fauna Europaea
  3. Mottled beauty at UKMoths
  4. Funet
  • 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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