| | Insects of Britain and Ireland: the genera of Lepidoptera-Geometridae |
Calocalpe, Eucosmia, Eulype, Melanippe.
Adults. Diurnal (R. hastata), or crepuscular and nocturnal. Antennae of males simple; simply-ciliate. Face rough (with a short cone of scales).
Wingspan 28–48 mm. The outer margin of the forewing convexly curved; scalloped (or waved), or smooth. Forewings light ochreous brown, whitish ochreous, or white; predominantly white, or whitish, or pale ochreous, or light brown; with a clear discal mark (this dark), or without a clear discal mark (unless it is represented by a white spot in a costal black fascia, in R. hastata); with a distinct median band to without a median band (the darkening of the band variously conspicuous to inconspicuous, often interrupted in R. hastata, sometimes undetectable). The outer margin of the hindwings scalloped (in cervinalis and undulata), or smooth. Hindwings conspicuously patterned; coloured and patterned like the forewings; with a clear discal mark to without a clear discal mark; transversely lined (usually with several conspicuous, darker wavy lines, but these represented by broken, very dark fasciae or dotted lines in R. hastata).
Vein 10 of the forewings arising independently of 9; arising independently, anastomosing with 11 and 9 to form a double areole, or arising out of 11 and anastomosing with 9 to form a simple areole (R. hastata). 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 Berberis (R. cervinalis), Salicaceae (R. undulata), Myrica and Betula (R. hastata).
British representation. 4 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, or June and July. R. cervinalis (Scarce Tissue), R. hastata (Argent and Sable), R. undulata (Scallop Shell).
Subfamily. Larentiinae.
Illustrations. • R. cervinalis (Scarce Yissue), R. hastata (Argent and Sable) and R. undulata (Scallop Shell), with Euphyia, Pareulype, Philereme, Triphosa: Newman 1869. 1, Pareulype berberata (Barberry Carpet); 2, Euphyia biangulata (Short-cloaked Carpet); 3a-b, Euphyia unangulata (Sharp-angled Carpet); 4a, Rheumaptera hastata (Argent and Sable); 4b, Rheumaptera hastata (variety); 5, Rheumaptera cervinalis (Scarce Tissue); 6, Rheumaptera undulata (Scallop Shell); 7, Triphosa dubitata (The Tissue); 8a-b, Philereme vetulata (Brown Scallop); 9a-b, Philereme transversata britannica (The Dark Umber). From Newman (1869). • R. cervinalis and R. undulata, with other Larentiinae: Kirby 49. LARENTIINAE. 8, Lythria purpuraria; 9, Scotopteryx luridata (The Belle); 10, Larentia clavaria (Mallow); 11, Scotopteryx chenopodiata (Small Mallow); 12, Scotopteryx moeniata; 13, Scotopteryx bipunctaria (Chalk Carpet); 14, Minoa murinata (Drab Looper); 15, Odezia atrata (Chimney Sweep); 16, cf. Schistostege decussata; 17, Lithostege griseata; 18, Lithostege farinata (the Snowy); 19, Aplocera plagiata (The Treble-bar); 20, Carsia sororiata (Manchester Treble-bar); 21, Chesias legatella (The Streak); 22, Chesias rufata (Broom-tip); 23, Trichopteryx carpinata (Early Tooth-striped); 24, Celonoptera mirificaria; 25, Operophtera brummata (Winter Moth); 26, Operophtera fagata (Northern Winter Moth); 27, Triphosa sabaudiata; 28, Triphosa dubitata (Tissue); 29, Rheumaptera cervinalis (Scarce Tissue); 30, Rheumaptera undulata (Scallop Shell); 31, Philereme vetulata (Brown Scallop); 32, Philereme transversata transversata (Dark Umber). From Kirby 49, with names updated.
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’.
