| | Insects of Britain and Ireland: the genera of Lepidoptera-Geometridae |
Nycterosea, Nyctosia, Percnoptilota, Plemyria.
Adults. Antennae of males very shortly bipectinate, or simple. Face rough.
Wingspan 22–28 mm. The outer margin of the forewing convexly curved. Forewings not predominantly green, yellow, or black; pale greyish-ochreous, greyish-purplish or whitish-ochreous, with faint darker striae; with a clear discal mark (this dark in a pale ring, in obstipata, a round black dot in vittata); without a median band; without an oblique red stripe. The outer margin of the hindwings slightly angled, or rounded; smooth. Hindwings plain; pale grey or whitish-ochreous, sometimes terminally tinged ochreous or purplish; predominantly whitish, or pale ochreous, or purple, purplish, red, pinkish or rosy, or pale grey; not predominantly green, yellow, or black; with a clear discal mark to without a clear discal mark; transversely lined (with several fairly faint lines).
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 Polygonum, Agrimonia, Galium, etc.
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, or July, or September to December, or January to May (when hibernating). O. obstipata (The Gem), O. vittata (Oblique Carpet).
Subfamily. Larentiinae.
Illustrations. • O. obstipata (The Gem) and O. vittata (Oblique Carpet), with Lythria, Phibalapteryx, Xanthorhoe and Catarhoe: Newman (1869). 1, Lythria purpuraria (Purple-barred Yellow, a-c males, d female); 2, Phibalapteryx virgata (The Oblique-striped); 3(a) & 3(b), Orthonama obstipata (The Gem, female and male); 4, Orthonama vittata (Oblique Carpet); 5, Xanthorhoe designata (Flame Carpet); 6, Xanthorhoe spadicearia (Red Twin-spot Carpet); 7, Xanthorhoe decoloraria (Red Carpet); 8, Xanthorhoe ferrugata (Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet); 9, Xanthorhoe quadrifasciaria (Large Twin-spot Carpet); 10, Xanthorhoe montanata (Silver-ground Carpet); 11(a) & 11(b), Xanthorhoe fluctuata (Garden Carpet, female and male); 12, Catarhoe cuculata (Royal Mantle); 13, Catarhoe rubidata (The Flame, The Ruddy Carpet). From Newman (1869). • O. vittata (Oblique 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’.
