Engrailed

Taxobox
name = The Engrailed

---

image_width = 240px
image_caption = Photo courtesy of [http://www.entomart.be/ Entomart.be]
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
subphylum = Hexapoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Lepidoptera
unranked_familia = Macrolepidoptera
superfamilia = Geometroidea
familia = Geometridae
subfamilia = Ennominae
tribus = Boarmiini
genus = "Ectropis"
species = "E. crepuscularia"
binomial = "Ectropis crepuscularia"
binomial_authority = Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775

The Engrailed ("Ectropis crepuscularia") is a moth of the family Geometridae. Some authors split this moth into two species: "E. bistortata" The Engrailed and "E. crepuscularia" Small Engrailed. It is distributed across most of Europe.

The ground colour of the wings is buff or grey variably marked with darker fascia. 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 larva is truly polyphagous, feeding on a huge range of plants (see list below). The species overwinters as a pupa.

Recorded food plants

*"Abies" - Fir
*"Acer" - Maple
*"Aconitum" - Monkshood
*"Alangium"
*"Alnus" - Alder
*"Aquilegia" - Columbine
*"Betula" - Birch
*"Calluna vulgaris" - Heather
*"Camellia japonica" - Japanese Camellia
*"Castanea" - Chestnut
*"Centaurea"
*"Cinchona"
*"Cirsium arvense" - Creeping Thistle
*"Cornus" - Dogwood
*"Cytisus" - Broom
*"Daphniphyllum"
*"Diervilla" - Bush Honeysuckle
*"Euptelea"
*"Eurya"
*"Frangula" - Alder Buckthorn
*"Fraxinus" - Ash
*"Genista" - Broom
*"Glycine" - Soybean
*"Hypericum maculatum" - Imperforate St John's Wort
*"Ilex" - Holly
*"Juglans" - Walnut
*"Larix" - Larch
*"Ligustrum" - Privet
*"Lindera" - Spice Bush
*"Lonicera" - Honeysuckle
*"Lythrum salicaria" - Purple loosestrife
*"Malus" - Apple
*"Osmunda
*"Philadelphus" - Mock-orange
*"Picea" - Spruce
*"Pieris"
*"Pinus" - Pine
*"Plectranthus"
*"Populus" - Poplar
*"Prunus"
*"Pseudotsuga" - Douglas-fir
*"Pyrus" - Pear
*"Quercus" - Oak
*"Rhododendron"
*"Ribes rubrum" - Redcurrant
*"Robinia"
*"Rosa" - Rose
*"Rubus idaeus" - Raspberry
*"Rumex" - Dock
*"Salix" - Willow
*"Sambucus" - Elder
*"Shepherdia canadensis" - Canada Buffaloberry
*"Sorbus" spp. - rowans
*"Spartina" - Cordgrass
*"Symplocos"
*"Thuja"
*"Trifolium" - Clover
*"Tsuga" - Hemlock
*"Ulmus" - Elm
*"Vaccinium"
*"Zanthoxylum"

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

External links

* [http://www.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/geometroidea/geometridae/ennominae/ectropis/index.html#crepuscularia The Engrailed at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera pages]