| | Insects of Britain and Ireland: the genera of Lepidoptera-Geometridae |
Adults. Antennae of males simple. Face rough.
The outer margin of the forewing slightly sigmoid-curved, or convexly curved. Forewings not predominantly green, yellow, or black; light- or light-yellowish-fuscous, or dark fuscous, with dark striae and median band; predominantly pale ochreous, or brown, or pale fuscous, or fuscous; with a clear discal mark (this black); usually with a distinct median band (this dark), or without a median band (in a dark form of L. suffumata). The outer margin of the hindwings smooth. Hindwings conspicuously patterned to plain; whitish or light to dark grey; predominantly whitish, or pale grey, or grey; not predominantly green, yellow, or black; with a clear discal mark to without a clear discal mark; transversely lined to without transverse lines (the striae rather sharp to obscure).
Vein 10 of the forewings arising independently of 9; arising independently, anastomosing with 11 and 9 to form a double 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. 2 species; South-east England, Central-southern England, South-west England, English Midlands, Northern England, Southern Scotland, Northern Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Living adults found May and June. L. otregiata (Devon Carpet), L. suffumata (Water Carpet).
Subfamily. Larentiinae.
Illustrations. • L. suffumata (Water Carpet), with Epirrhoe, Costaconvexa, Camptogramma, Entephria, Larentia, Anticlea, Mesoleuca, Pelurga, 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). • Lampropteryx otregiata (Devon Carpet) and L. suffumata (Water Carpet) compared. 1a-b, Lampropteryx otregiata (Devon Carpet); 2a-b, L. suffumata (Water Carpet, typical form); 2c, L. suffumata ab. piceata. From Swain, 1961. • L. suffumata, 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’.
