| | Insects of Britain and Ireland: the pug moths (Lepidoptera-Geometridae) |
Collix sparsaria Hübner
Dentated Pug.
Adults. Posterior tibiae of males 4-spurred. Wingspan 24–26 mm. Forewings not noticeably elongate; the outer margin convexly curved.
Forewings rather dingy; light brownish grey, with indistinct, darker irregular striae, dark fuscous on the costa, the veins marked blackish and whitish except within the median band, with a whitish subterminal line forming a white tornal dot, and a black discal dot connected with the costa by a dark fuscous streak. Forewings with a dark discal mark. Forewing fringes conspicuously chequered.
The termen of the hindwings somewhat dentate; hindwings brownish grey, like the forewings; hindwings patterned similarly to the forewings; hindwings conspicuously patterned; hindwings conspicuously transversely striated (with dark, wavy basal, median and outer striae, and a zigzag marginal one); hindwings with a clear discal mark to without a clear discal mark; fringes conspicuously chequered.
Neuration. Vein 10 of the forewings arising independently, anastomosing with 11 and 9 to form a double areole.
Genitalia. The male abdomen without a sclerotized plate under the eighth segment.
Early stages, ecology. Botanically specialised. Foodplants herbaceous-dicotyledonous; Primulaceae. The larvae found on Lysimachia vulgaris; feeding on flowers, buds, and leafy shoots.
Months of appearance, distribution. Adults abroad in June; larvae found August and September. South-east England, Central-southern England, South-west England, English Midlands, and Northern England (local).
Special key characters. Hindwings light brown, or pale fuscous, or pale grey.
Illustrations. • A. sparsata (Dentated Pug), and larva: Barrett. Anticollix sparsata Dentated Pug). 2, male; 2a, female; 2b, larva. From Barrett, vol 9, Plate 380. • A. sparsata, with Chloroclystis, Gymnoscelis and Pasiphila: Hubner 1809–1817. • A. sparsata (Dentated Pug): Swain. • A. sparsata (Dentated Pug), with other Pugs: Newman. 1, Eupithecia inturbata (Maple Pug); 2, E. haworthiata (Haworth's Pug); 3. E. plumbeolata (Lead-coloured Pug); 4, E. linariata (Toadflax Pug); 5, E. pulchellata (Foxglove Pug); E. irriguata (Marbled Pug); 7, E. exiguata (Mottled Pug); 8, E. insigniata (Pinion-spotted Pug); 9, E. pygmaeata (Marsh Pug); 10, E. venosata venosata (Netted Pug); 11, E. trisignaria (Triple-spotted Pug); 12, E. cauchiata (Guenee's Pug); 13, E. abietaria (Cloaked Pug); 14, E. expallidata (Bleached Pug); 15, E. subfuscata (Grey Pug); 16, E. subumbrata (Shaded Pug); 17, E. simpliciata (Plain Pug); 18, E. virgaureata (Golden-rod Pug); 19, E. abbreviata (Brindled Pug); 20, E. pusillata pusillata (Juniper Pug); 21, E. centaureata (Lime-speck Pug); 22, Chloroclystis v-ata (V-Pug); 23, Anticollix sparsata (Dentated Pug). From Newman (1869).
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 pug moths (Lepidoptera-Geometridae). Version: 27th July 2019. delta-intkey.com’.
