Common wave

Common wave
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Geometridae
Genus:	Cabera
Species:	C. exanthemata
Binomial name
Cabera exanthemata (Scopoli, 1763)

The common wave (Cabera exanthemata) is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found throughout the Palearctic region and the Near East.

The wings of this species are white, heavily spotted with tiny yellowish dots, which give it a buffish appearance. The wings are marked with narrow brown fascia, three on the forewing, two on the hindwing. The wingspan is 30–35 mm. One or two broods are produced each year and adults can be seen at any time between May and August. This species flies at night and is attracted to light.

The larva, green with yellow rings and black and purple spots, feeds on alder, aspen, beech, birch and willow. The species overwinters as a pupa.

Notes

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

References

• 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