Mottled Umber

Mottled Umber
Mottled Umber
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Erannis
Species: E. defoliaria
Binomial name
Erannis defoliaria
(Clerck, 1759)
Synonyms

Phalaena defoliaria Clerck, 1759

The Mottled Umber (Erannis defoliaria) is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is a common species throughout the Palearctic region and the Near East.

Wingless female
Illustration from John Curtis's British Entomology Volume 6

The female of this species is wingless and rather spider-like and can be found on the trunks and stems of its larval food plants. The male is fully winged (wingspan 40–45 mm) and very variable. The ground colour of the forewings varies from pale cream to brown with brown to black basal area and a broad band in the same colour. The hindwings are whitish. Truly melanic forms are also frequent. As with the Peppered Moth, the darker forms tend to be prevalent in industrial areas. The adults are active from September to December [1] and the males are attracted to light.

The larva is also very variable from cream to dark brown. It feeds on a wide variety of trees and shrubs (see list below) and can be a serious pest in orchards. The species overwinters as an egg.

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

Recorded food plants

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
  • The pest control of the chestnut tree by Dr Péter Szentiványi. Chestnut - Agricultural Publisher. For Sarkpont Cc., Hungary.
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