| | Insects of Britain and Ireland: the genera of Lepidoptera-Geometridae |
Adults. Antennae of males simple; simply-ciliate. Face rough (with a slight cone of scales).
Wingspan 24–34 mm. The outer margin of the forewing slightly sigmoid-curved, or convexly curved. Forewings white or ochreous-whitish; with a clear discal mark (this black or dark); with a distinct median band (the band dark). Hindwings conspicuously patterned to plain; coloured similarly to the forewings; predominantly white, or whitish, or pale ochreous; with a clear discal mark, or without a clear discal mark; conspicuously to fairly inconspicuously transversely lined.
Vein 10 of the forewings arising independently of 9; arising out of 11 and anastomosing with 9 to form a simple areole. Hindwings exhibiting a tubular vein 5. Vein 5 of the hindwings arising from about the middle of the transverse vein, or arising from below the middle of the transverse vein (?). 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 stalked.
Posterior tibiae of males 4-spurred.
Early stages. Larvae feeding on Galium.
British representation. 5 species; South-east England, Central-southern England, South-west England, English Midlands, Northern England, Southern Scotland, Northern Scotland, Wales, and Ireland (common). Living adults found May to July. E. alternata alternata (Common Carpet), E. galiata (Galium Carpet), E. rivata (Wood Carpet), E. tristata (Small Argent and Sable).
Subfamily. Larentiinae.
Illustrations. • 4 Epirrhoe spp., with Costaconvexa, Camptogramma, Entephria, Larentia, Anticlea, Mesoleuca, Pelurga, Lampropteryx, Cosmorhoe and Nebula: Newman 1869. 1, Epirrhoe tristata (Small Argent and Sable); 2, Epirrhoe alternata (Common Carpet); 3, Epirrhoe rivata (Wood Carpet); 4, Epirrhoe galiata (Galium Carpet); 5, Costaconvexa polygrammata (The Many-lined Moth); 6a and 6b, Camptogramma bilineata (The Yellow Shell); 7, Entephria caesiata (Grey Mountain Carpet); 8, Entephria flavicinctata (Yellow-ringed Carpet); 9, Cosmorhoe ocellata (The Purple Bar); 10, Anticlea badiata (The Shoulder Stripe); 11, Anticlea derivata (The Streamer); 12, Larentia clavaria (The Mallow); 13, Mesoleuca albicillata (The Beautiful Carpet); 14, Nebula salicata latentaria (Striped Twin-spot Carpet); 15, Pelurga comitata (The Dark Spinach); 16, Lampropteryx suffumata (The Water Carpet, (a) typical and (b), ab. piceata). From Newman (1869). • E. galiata (Galium Carpet) and E. alternata (Common Carpet), with other Larentiinae (‘Carpets’): Kirby 50. LARENTIINAE. 1. Anticlea badiata (Shoulder Stripe); 2, Eustroma reticulatum (Netted Carpet); 3, Eulithis prunata (Phoenix); 4, Eulithis populata (Northern Spinach); 5, Cidaria fulvata (Barred Yellow); 6, Cosmorhoe ocellata (Purple Bar); 7, Plemyria rubiginata (Blue-bordered Carpet); 8, Thera britannica (Spruce Carpet); 9, Thera juniperata (Juniper Carpet); 10 and 11, Chloroclysta siterata (Red-green and Autumn-green Carpets); 12, Chloroclysta truncata (Common Marbled Carpet); 13, Colostygia olivata (Beech Green Carpet); 14, Colostygia pectinataria (Green Carpet); 15, cf. Colostygia turbata; 16, Xanthorhoe fluctuata (Garden Carpet); 17, Xanthorhoe montanata (Silver-ground Carpet); 18, Xanthorhoe quadrifasiata (Large Twin-spot Carpet); 19, Xanthorhoe ferrugata (Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet); 20, Lampropteryx suffumata (Water Carpet); 21, Xanthorhoe biriviata (Balsam Carpet); 22, Xanthorhoe designata (Flame Carpet); 23, Orthonama vittata (Oblique Carpet); 24, Epirrita dilutata (November Moth); 25, Entephria caesiata (Grey Mountain Carpet); 26, Coenotephria tophaceata; 27, Catarhoe cuculata (Royal Mantle); 28, Epirrhoe galiata (Galium Carpet); 29, Epirrhoe alternata alternata (Common Carpet); 30, Euphya unangulata (Sharp-angled Carpet); 31, Melanthia procellata (Pretty Chalk Carpet). From Kirby 50, 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’.
