Scopula ternata

Scopula ternata, the smoky wave, is a moth of the family Geometridae. It was described by Franz von Paula Schrank in 1802. It is mainly found in northern and parts of central Europe and in isolated populations in southern and south-eastern Europe. Its western range is eastern France, eastern Belgium and Scotland, with an isolated population in the Pyrenees. In the north its range extends to the polar regions and in the south it is found up to the Alps. Its eastern range extends through central and northern Russia up to the Ural, through Siberia up to the Yenisei River.

Scopula ternata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Scopula
Species:
S. ternata
Binomial name
Scopula ternata
Synonyms
  • Phalaena ternata Schrank, 1802
  • Scopula aequicerata Träff, 1965
  • Acidalia commutaria Boisduval, 1840
  • Idaea commutata Freyer, 1832
  • Acidalia fumata Stephens, 1831
  • Acidalia gypsaria Boisduval, 1840
  • Acidalia nitidaria Boisduval, 1840
  • Cabera saltuata Speyer, 1839
  • Larentia simplaria Freyer, 1852

The wingspan is 24–29 millimetres (0.94–1.14 in) for males and 21–25 millimetres (0.83–0.98 in) for females. The moth flies from May to July in the warmer regions and from June to August in Northern Europe.

The larva preferably feeds on Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium uliginosum, Calluna vulgaris, Lathyrus niger, Salix repens and Erica. Less frequently, they have been recorded on Lonicera tatarica, Stellaria, Polygonum aviculare, Fragaria vesca, Lactuca sativa and Taraxacum officinale.

References
  1. Sihvonen, Pasi (April 1, 2005). "Phylogeny and classification of the Scopulini moths (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Sterrhinae)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 143 (4): 473–530. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2005.00153.x.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.