Eupithecia

Eupithecia is the largest genus of moths of the family Geometridae,[3] and the namesake and type genus of tribe Eupitheciini. Species in the genus are, like those of other genera in the tribe, commonly known as pugs.[4] The genus is highly speciose, with over 1400 species, and members of the genus are present in most of the world with exception of Australasia.[3] Roughly a quarter of described Eupithecia species occur in the Neotropical realm, where they have an especially high species diversity in the montane rain forests of the Andes.[5] The genus includes a few agricultural pest species, such as the currant pug moth, Eupithecia assimilata, which is a pest on hops,[6] and the cloaked pug moth, Eupithecia abietaria, which is a cone pest in spruce seed orchards.[7]

Eupithecia
Eupithecia innotata
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Geometridae
Tribe:	Eupitheciini
Genus:	Eupithecia Curtis, 1825[1]
Synonyms[2]
Arcyonia Hübner, 1825 Bohatschia Schütze, 1960 Catarina Vojnits & De Laever, 1973 Delaeveria Schütze, 1961 Dietzea Schütze, 1956 Dochephora Warren, 1895 Dolichopyge Warren, 1900 Dyscymatoge Hübner, 1825 Epicaste Gumppenberg, 1887 Eucymatoge Hübner, [1825] Euphitecia Carnelutti & Michieli, 1958 Eurypeplodes Warren, 1893 Heteropithecia Vojnits, 1985 Hypepirritis Hübner, [1825] Lamelluncia Mironov, 1990 Lepiodes Guenée, 1858 Leucocora Hübner, 1825 Mnesiloba Warren, 1901 Neopithecia Vojnits, 1985 Pena Walker, 1863 Petersenia Schütze, 1958 Phaulostathma Warren, 1900 Propithecia Vojnits, 1985 Sebastia Warren, 1895 (preocc. Kirby, 1892) Stenopla Warren, 1900 Tarachia Hübner, 1825 Tephroclystia Hübner, 1825[1] Tephroclystis Meyrick, 1892 Thysanoctena Warren, 1904 Trichoclystis Warren, 1904 Zygmena Boie, 1839

Adult specimens of Eupithecia are typically small, often between 12 and 35 mm, with muted colours, and display a large amount of uniformity between species.[3] As a result, identification of a specimen as part of genus Eupithecia is generally easy, but identifying the exact species is difficult and often reliant on examination of the dissected genitals.[3] Most species share a characteristic resting pose in which the forewings are held flat at a right angle to the body—that is, the costal margins of both forewings form a more-or-less horizontal line—while the hindwings are largely covered by the forewings.[8] They are generally nocturnal.[3]

Pug Moth caterpillar Eupithecia sp.

Of the species where the larval behaviour is known, most feed from the flowers and seeds of their food plants rather than the foliage.[3] Many species have a very specific food plant. The larvae of all but one[9] of the endemic species of Eupithecia from Hawaii are ambush predators of a wide variety of insects and spiders.[10] These ambush predators have raptorial legs, with which they grab prey that comes into contact with their hind end.[10]