Brimstone moth

Brimstone moth
Brimstone Moth
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Opisthograptis
Species: O. luteolata
Binomial name
Opisthograptis luteolata
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
  • Phalaena luteolata Linnaeus, 1758
  • Rumia provincialis Oberthür, 1919

The Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found throughout the Palearctic region and the Near East.

caterpillar
Pupating
Pupa
illustration

This species is unmistakable within its range, with bright yellow wings marked with small brown patches along the costa of the forewing and a small brown-edged white stigma, also on the forewing. The wingspan is 33-46 mm. The species has a complex ecology: sometimes one brood is produced each year but sometimes three broods are produced over a two-year period, with the result that adults can be seen on the wing at any time from April to October [1]. This moth sometimes flies during the day but mainly at night and is attracted to light.

The larva is brown or green with a "horn" on its back and feeds on a variety of trees and shrubs. Recorded food plants include apple, birch, blackthorn, currant, hawthorn, Prunus, rowan, Amelanchier and willow. The species, due to its complex life cycle, overwinters either as a larva or a pupa.

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

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