| | Insects of Britain and Ireland: the pug moths (Lepidoptera-Geometridae) |
E. disparata (Hübner), E. succenturiaria Boisduval
Bordered Pug.
Adults. Thorax only posteriorly white (the anterior edge dark fuscous). Posterior tibiae of males 4-spurred. Wingspan 24–28 mm. Forewings distinctly elongate; the outer margin convexly curved; the costa more or less straight to arched; apically blunt to somewhat pointed.
Forewings relatively conspicuously patterned; grey, the first five fasciae separated by pairs of angulated and wavy whitish striae, the sixth brownish and traversed by grey veins, the base of the dorsum and dorso-posteriorly around the discal mark white, and with a dark fuscous band along the costa which is interrupted subterminally before joining the dark terminal fascia, this itself containing a pale wavy line. Forewings with a dark discal mark (this large). The discal mark slightly elongate to dot-like; blackish or black and distinct. Forewings usually with a pale tornal spot (this terminating the sometimes interrupted subterminal line). Forewing fringes somewhat chequered.
Hindwings whitish-grey with grey striae, and the broadly fuscous terminal band enclosing the wavy pale subterminal line; less conspicuously patterned than the forewings (but postmedianly matching them); conspicuously patterned; transversely striated (with dark striae postmedianly conspicuous); with a clear discal mark (this blackish grey); with a pale tornal spot to without a pale tornal spot; the fringes conspicuously chequered to not conspicuously chequered.
The abdomen conspicuously patterned; grey, with a white base; laterally neither black-streaked nor black-spotted.
Genitalia. The male abdominal plate in the form of a single sclerotized patch with a pair of apical extensions (the prongs blunt). The bursa copulatrix ornamented over most of its surface to with ornamentation conspicuously restricted in distribution (being proximally smooth to only finely scobiculate); fairly coarsely, conspicuously spiny.
Early stages, ecology. Botanically specialised. Foodplants herbaceous-dicotyledonous; Compositae (Asteraceae). The larvae found on Artemisia, Anthemis, Achillea Tanacetum and garden chrysanthemums ...; feeding on buds and leafy shoots.
Months of appearance, distribution. Adults abroad June, July, August, and September; larvae found August and September. South-east England, Central-southern England, South-west England, English Midlands, Northern England, Southern Scotland, Wales, and Ireland (widespread and rather commonon southeast England, local elsewhere).
Special key characters. Forewings whitish or white in the disc (conspicuously so, but to a variable extent). Hindwings whitish and pale grey.
Illustrations. • E. succenturiata (Bordered Pug), with larva: Barrett. Eupithecia succenturiata. 2a and 2b, varieties. 2c, larva. From Barrett, plate 385. • E. centaureata, E. succenturiata and E. icterata subfulvata, with larvae: Barrett. Eupithecia. 1, E. centaureata; 2, E. succenturiata; 3, E. icterata subfulvata. Barrett, Plate 385 (1904). • E. succenturiata (Bordered Pug), with other pugs: South. • 3 forms of E. succenturiata, with 9 other pugs illustrated by Hubner (1790–1817). • E. succenturiata (Bordered Pug), with other Pugs: Swain. 1, Eupithecia succenturiata (Bordered Pug); 2, E. exiguata (Mottled Pug); 3, E. haworthiata (Haworth's Pug); 4, E. insigniata (Pinion-spotted Pug); 5, E. expallidata (Bleached Pug). Adapted from Swain (1961). • E. succenturiata (Bordered Pug), with other Pugs: Swain. 1a, Eupithecia icterata oxydata (Tawny-speckled Pug); 1b, E. icterata subfulvata (Tawny-speckled Pug); 1c, E. icterata cognata (Tawny-speckled Pug); 2, E. subumbrata (Shaded Pug); 3, E. succentureata (Bordered Pug); 4, E. millefoliata (Yarrow Pug); 5, E. distinctaria (Thyme Pug); 6, E. simpliciata (Plain Pug); 7, E. indigata (Ochreous Pug); 8, E. pimpinellata (Pimpinel Pug); 9a-b, E. nanata (Narrow-winged Pug). Adapted from Swain, 1961.
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’.
