Bordered pug

The bordered pug (Eupithecia succenturiata) is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found across the Palearctic region. In the Pyrenees, the species can be found up to an altitude of 1800 metres. It prefers steppe areas, open bushy terrain, fallow and unimproved grasslands and parkland.

Bordered pug
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Eupithecia
Species:
E. succenturiata
Binomial name
Eupithecia succenturiata
Synonyms
  • Phalaena succenturiata Linnaeus, 1758
  • Geometra disparata Hubner, 1799
  • Tephroclystia exalbidata Staudinger, 1901

Description

This is an easily recognisable species, mainly due to the combination of colours and its large size relative to most other pugs (wingspan 21–24 mm). Typically this moth has whitish forewings with broad dark grey margins or suffused with brown margins. It is very variable, however, and can be nearly all white or nearly all grey. There is a small dark-coloured discal spot. The hindwings are similar in colour with a small discal spot. The abdomen is conspicuously patterned. It is grey, with a white base.[2][3] The larva is light brown with numerous, small white warts scattered throughout the body. It has a narrow white lateral stripe and a variety of diamond-shaped brown spots along the back.

Biology

The species flies at night from early June to late August and is attracted to light.

Figs 2,2a,2b larvae after final moult 2c enlarged detail of segments

The larva feeds on the foliage of mugwort, although it has also been recorded feeding on Angelica, bilberry, tansy and yarrow. The species overwinters as a pupa.

References
  1. Yu, Dicky Sick Ki. "Eupithecia succenturiata (Linnaeus 1758)". Home of Ichneumonoidea. Taxapad. Archived from the original on 25 March 2016.
  2. Eupithecia succenturiata full description Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2003 onwards. British insects: the genera of Lepidoptera-Geometridae. Version: 29 December 2011
  3. Prout, L. B. (1912–16). Geometridae. In A. Seitz (ed.) The Macrolepidoptera of the World. The Palaearctic Geometridae, 4. 479 pp. Alfred Kernen, Stuttgart.pdf Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
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  • 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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