| | Insects of Britain and Ireland: the genera of Lepidoptera-Geometridae |
Calospilos, Zerene.
Adults. Crepuscular and nocturnal; relatively stout-bodied to slender-bodied. Antennae of males stout, simple; fasciculate-ciliate. Face smooth.
Wingspan 38–48 mm. The outer margin of the forewing convexly curved. Forewings typically white, spotted and or blotched with grey or black, with a yellow or orange-ish transverse band or markings and sometimes with a grey, orange and blue blotch at the anal angle, but exhibiting yellowish, fuscous and melanic forms; with a clear discal mark, or without a clear discal mark. Forewings of the male without a fovea. Hindwings conspicuously patterned (typically white, with grey or black spots and sometimes with a grey, orange and blue blotch near the anal angle; but exhibiting yellowish, fuscous and melanic forms); typically white, but exhibiting yellowish and melanic forms; with a clear discal mark to without a clear discal mark; transversely lined (the outer and submarginal lines usually recognisable as rows of dark spots or blobs).
Hindwings lacking a tubular vein 5. Vein 8 of the hindwings approximated to or anastomosed with the upper margin of the cell to the middle or beyond. Hindwing veins 6 and 7 separate.
Posterior tibiae of males 4-spurred.
The abdomen conspicuously patterned.
Early stages. Larvae feeding on foliage of Ribes, Ulmus, Prunus.
British representation. 3 species (one adventive); South-east England, Central-southern England, South-west England, English Midlands, Northern England, Southern Scotland, Northern Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Living adults found June to August. A. grossulariata (Magpie Moth); A. pantaria (The Panther); A. sylvata (Scarce or Clouded Magpie).
Subfamily. Ennominae.
Illustrations. • Abraxas sylvata (Scarce or Clouded Magpie: B. Ent. 515). • Abraxas sylvata (legend+text: B. Ent. 515). • Abraxas sylvata (text, cont.: B. Ent. 515). • A. grossulariata (Magpie, Currant Moth) and A. sylvata (Scarce Magpie), with Ligdia, Lomaspilis and Semiothisa: Newman. 1a, Abraxas grossulariata (Magpie or Currant Moth, typical form); 1b-e, Abraxas grossulariata, varieties; 2, Abraxas sylvata (Scarce or Clouded Magpie); 3, Ligdia adustata (Scorched Carpet); 4a-d, Lomaspilis marginata (Clouded Border); 5, Semiothisa alternaria (Sharp-angled Peacock); 6, Semiothisa notata (Peacock Moth); 7, Semiothisa carbonaria (Netted Mountain Moth); 8, Semiothisa liturata (Tawny-barred Angle); 9, Semiothisa wauaria (V-moth); 10, Semiothisa clathrata (Latticed Heath); 11, Semiothisa pinetaria (Rannoch Looper). From Newman, 1869. • A. grossulariata, A. sylvata and A. pantaria, with other Sterrhinae: Kirby 45. STERRHINAE. 1, Scopula marginepunctata (Mullein Wave); 2, Scopula nigropunctata (Sub-angled Wave); 3, Scopula ornata (Lace Border); 4, Scopula decorata; 5, Problepsis ocellata; 6, Cyclophora pendularia (Birch Mocha); 7, Cyclophora annularia (Mocha); 8, Cyclophora porata (False Mocha); 9, Cyclophora punctaria (Maiden's Blush); 10, Cyclophora linearia (Clay Triple-lines); 11, Timandra comae (Blood-vein); 12, Rhodostrophia vibicaria; 13, Rhodostrophia calabraria; 14, Arichanna melanaria; 15, Abraxas grossulariata (Magpie Moth); 16, Abraxas pantaria (Panther); 17, Abraxas sylvata (Scarce or Clouded Magpie); 18, Ligdia adustata (Scorched Carpet); 19, Lomaspilis marginata (Clouded Border); 20, Lomographa bimaculata (White-pinion Spotted); 21, Lomographa temerata (Clouded Silver); 22, Cabera pusaria (Common White Wave); 23, Cabera exanthemata (Common Wave); 24, Plagodis pulveraria (Barred Umber); 25, Pungeleria capreolaria; 26, Hylaea fasciaria (Barred Red); 27, Campaea margaritata (Light Emerald). From Kirby 45, with updated names.
We advise against extracting comparative information from the descriptions. This is much more easily achieved using the DELTA data files or the interactive key, which allows access to the character list, illustrations, full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting or lacking specified attributes, and distributions of character states within any set of taxa. See also Guidelines for using data taken from Web publications.
Cite this publication as: ‘Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2003 onwards. Insects of Britain and Ireland: the genera of Lepidoptera-Geometridae. Version: 14th February 2021. delta-intkey.com’.
