| | Insects of Britain and Ireland: the genera of Lepidoptera-Geometridae |
Adults. Crepuscular and nocturnal. Antennae of males bipectinate; apically simple. Face rough.
Wingspan 29–54 mm. The outer margin of the forewing convexly curved, or convexly curved to more or less straight. Forewings light ochreous brown, sprinkled dark and sometimes whitish, with dark wavy transverse lines; or (commonly in some localities) melanic; predominantly pale ochreous, or ochreous, or light brown, or blackish, or black; with a clear discal mark (this blackish, sometimes joined with a costal mark). The discal mark not dark-ringed. Forewings of the male with a fovea. The outer margin of the hindwings scalloped to smooth. Hindwings conspicuously patterned; similarly coloured to the forewings - light ochreous brown, sprinkled dark and sometimes whitish, or (commonly in some localities) melanic; not predominantly green, yellow, or black, or predominantly black; transversely lined (with dark wavy lines).
Hindwings lacking a tubular vein 5. Vein 8 of the hindwings approximated to or anastomosed with the upper margin of the cell to the middle or beyond. Hindwing veins 6 and 7 separate.
Posterior tibiae of males 4-spurred.
Early stages. Larvae feeding on foliage of Quercus, Betula, Prunus spinosa, etc., or (jubata) on lichens.
British representation. 2 species (with 3 subspecies of A. repandata); South-east England, Central-southern England, South-west England, English Midlands, Northern England, Southern Scotland, Northern Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Living adults found July and August. A. jubata (Dotted Carpet), A. repandata (Mottled Beauty).
Subfamily. Ennominae.
Illustrations. • A. repandata (Mottled Beauty) and A. jubata (Dotted Carpet), with Biston, Cleora, Cleorodes, Deileptenia, Fagivorina, Menophra, Ourapteryx, Peribatodes, Selidosema: Newman. 1, Ourapteryx sambucaria (Swallow-tailed Moth); 2, Biston betularia (Peppered Moth); 3, Biston strataria (Oak Beauty); 4, Peribatodes rhomboidaria (Willow Beauty); 5, Menophra abruptaria (Waved Umber); 6, Cleora cinctaria (Ringed Carpet); 7a-b, Selidosema brunnearia scandinaviaria (Bordered Grey, male and female); 8, Alcis repandata (Mottled Beauty); 9, Alcis jubata (Dotted Carpet); 10, Fagivorina arenaria (Speckled Beauty); 11, Cleorodes lichenaria (Brussels Lace); 12, Deileptenia ribeata (Satin Beauty). From Newman, 1869. • Alcis repandata: pale and melanic forms (photos). Alcis repandata (Mottled Beauty). 1–2, pale form: Ilfracombe, June 1912 (R.A. Nicholls). 3–4, melanics: Leek, Staffs, June 1952 (L.Watson).
The melanic form predominated in the Leek district during the decade 1948–1958, in "rural" habitats located only 10 and 30 miles from heavily indistrialized Stoke-on-Trent and Manchester, to the extent that pale specimens were never encountered. From Watson's collection. • Ennominae: Kirby 48. ENNOMINAE. 1, Cleora cinctaria (Ringed Carpet); 2, Peribatodes rhomboidaria (Willow Beauty); 3, Peribatodes secundaria (Feathered Beauty); 4, Deileptenia ribeata (Satin Carpet); 5, Alcis repandata (Mottled Beauty); 6, Boarmia roboraria (Great Oak Beauty); 7, Serraca punctinalis (Pale Oak Beauty); 8, Fagivorina arenaria (Speckled Beauty); 9, Cleorodes lichenaria (Brussels Lace); 10, Ectropis crepuscularia (Small Engrailed); 11, Ectropis (Paradarisa) consonaria (Square-spot); 12, Ectropis similaria (Brindled White-spot); 13, Aethalura punctulata (Grey Birch Moth); 14, Gnophos furvata; 15, Gnophos obscuratus (Dark Annulet); 16, cf. Charissa (Rhopalognophos) glaucinaria; 17, Gnophos (Charissa) obscuratus (Annulet); 18, Gnophos obfuscatus (Scotch Annulet); 19, Psodos quadrifaria; 20, Macaria fusca; 21, "Fidonia fasciolaria", = Isturgia?; 22, Istugia famula; 23, Isturgia roraria; 24, "Fidonia plumistraria", = ?; 25, Ematurga atomaria (Common Heath); 26, Bupalus piniaria (Bordered White); 27, Selidosema brunnearia (Bordered Grey); 28, Itame vincularia; 29, Semiothisa (Macaria) wauaria (V-Moth); 30, Semiothisa (Itame) brunneata (Rannoch Looper); 31, Macaria artesiaria; 32, Petrophora chlorosata (Brown Silver Line); 33, Semiothisa (Macaria) clathrata (Latticed Heath). From Kirby 48, with updated names.
We advise against extracting comparative information from the descriptions. This is much more easily achieved using the DELTA data files or the interactive key, which allows access to the character list, illustrations, full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting or lacking specified attributes, and distributions of character states within any set of taxa. See also Guidelines for using data taken from Web publications.
Cite this publication as: ‘Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2003 onwards. Insects of Britain and Ireland: the genera of Lepidoptera-Geometridae. Version: 14th February 2021. delta-intkey.com’.
