Engrailed (moth)

For other uses, see Engrailed.
Ectropis crepuscularia
Engrailed
Small Engrailed
Photo courtesy of Entomart.be
Female
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Tribe: Boarmiini
Genus: Ectropis
Species: E. crepuscularia
Binomial name
Ectropis crepuscularia
(Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)
Synonyms

Ectropis bistortata Goeze, 1781

The Engrailed and Small Engrailed (Ectropis crepuscularia) are moths of the family Geometridae. It is found from the British Isles through Central and Eastern Europe to the Russian Far East and Kazakhstan. The Western Mediterranean and Asia minor and the Caucasus represents the southern limit of the distribution (with the Balkan countries). In the North the distribution area ends at the Arctic circle. It also occurs in North America. There is a debate as to whether they make up one species, or whether E. crepuscularia actually refers only to the Small Engrailed, with the Engrailed proper being separable as E. bistortata.

The ground colour of the wings is buff or grey variably marked with darker fascia and a pale postdiscal crossline. The darker markings are not usually as strong as in the rather similar Willow Beauty. Melanic forms occur fairly frequently. The wingspan is 38–45 mm. One or two broods are produced each year. In the British Isles the adults can be seen at any time between March and August; this time range may vary in other parts of this moth's range. The species flies at night and is attracted to light.

The greyish caterpillar is truly polyphagous, feeding on a huge range of plants (see list below). The species overwinters as a pupa.

Engrailed/Small Engrailed

There is debate as to whether the Small Engrailed (Ectropis crepuscularia) and Engrailed (Ectropis bistortata) are the same species, despite DNA profiling confirming they are conspecific.[1][2]

Recorded food plants

Caterpillar

References

Line notes

  1. ↑ http://www.norfolkmoths.co.uk/index.php?bf=19471
  2. ↑ http://irishmoths.net/pages-moth/m-1947x.html
  3. ↑ C. Michael Hogan (2008) Douglas-fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii, globalTwitcher.com, ed. Nicklas Strõmberg
  4. ↑ Hübner (1825) Ectropis

External links

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