| | Insects of Britain and Ireland: the genera of Lepidoptera-Geometridae |
Psodos, Psoidos, Psolos.
Adults. Diurnal. Antennae of males simple (stout); shortly simply-ciliate. Face rough (with long, rough hairs).
Wingspan 25–27 mm. The outer margin of the forewing convexly curved. Forewings dark grey, with blackish basal fascia and transverse banding; predominantly grey, or blackish; with a clear discal mark (this black). Forewings of the male without a fovea. Hindwings conspicuously patterned (the blackish basal fascia and broad median and marginal bands contrasting with the grey background); coloured like the forewings; predominantly grey, or blackish; without a clear discal mark; transversely lined.
Forewings lacking vein 10. 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 mosses?. Pupae on the surface of the ground (without a cocoon).
British representation. 1 species; Southern Scotland and Northern Scotland (montane). Living adults found in July. G. coracina (Black Mountain Moth), “Psodos quadrifaria”.
Subfamily. Ennominae.
Illustrations. • Aspitates, Dyscia, Glacies, Perconia, Siona: Newman. 1a-b, Siona lineata (Black-veined Moth, upper- and under-sides); 2, Glacies coracina (Black Mountain Moth); 3, Perconia strigillaria (Grass Wave); 4, Aspitates ochrearia (Yellow Belle); 5, Aspitates gilvaria (Straw Belle); 6a-b, Dyscia fagaria (Grey Scalloped Bar, female and male). From Newman, 1869. • Psodos equestrata Fab. (Gold Four-spot Moth: B. Ent. 424). "Psodos equestrata", probably representing the montane mainland-European P. quadrifaria. "From Mr. Plastead's cabinet" - the source of several other non-British specimens included by Curtis. • Psodos equestrata Fab.: B. Ent. 424, legend+text. • Psodos equestrata Fab.: B. Ent. 424, text cont.. • 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’.
