Campaea margaritata
| Campaea margaritata | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Geometridae |
| Genus: | Campaea |
| Species: | C. margaritata |
| Binomial name | |
| Campaea margaritata Linnaeus, 1767 | |
Campaea margaritata, commonly known in the UK as the light emerald, is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is widely distributed throughout Europe, the Near East and North Africa.
Description
Newly emerged adults have pale green wings marked with white fascia, two on the forewing, one on the hindwing. As with most moths of this colour, the green colouration fades over time and older specimens tend to be almost pure white. The wingspan is 42–54 mm, the female generally being considerably larger than the male.
Life cycle
One or two broods are produced each year and adults can be seen at any time between July and September . The larva feeds on a variety of deciduous trees, including apple, beech, birch, elm, hawthorn, hazel and oak as well as several species of Prunus. The species overwinters as a larva, feeding on the soft bark of its food plants during the winter.
This moth flies at night and is attracted to light.
- ^ The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.
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Close-up of head and forelegs.
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Larva on elm, Glimmen, NL. Photo:Ronnie Nijboer
External links
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
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