| | Insects of Britain and Ireland: the genera of Lepidoptera-Geometridae |
Acidalia, Craspedia, Calothysanis, Dosithea, Pylarge.
Adults. Antennae of males simple; fasciculate-ciliate. Face smooth.
Wingspan 20–33 mm. Forewings relatively narrow-elongate to relatively broad. The outer margin of the forewing convexly curved, or sigmoid-curved. Forewings white, whitish-ochreous, reddish-ochreous, light red or pinkish; with a clear discal mark (when present, usually black or dark), or without a clear discal mark. The outer margin of the hindwings rounded, or angled; smooth. Hindwings conspicuously patterned, or plain; coloured like the forewings; with a clear discal mark, or without a clear discal mark; transversely lined.
Vein 10 of the forewings arising out of vein 9. Hindwings exhibiting a tubular vein 5. Vein 5 of the hindwings arising from about the middle of the transverse vein. Vein 8 of the hindwings shortly anastomosed basally with the upper margin of the cell, thence rapidly diverging. Hindwing veins 6 and 7 stalked to separate (often variable within a species).
Posterior tibiae of males without spurs (mostly), or 2-spurred (male S. ternata; females of all species with all four spurs).
British representation. 14 species (3 adventive); South-east England, Central-southern England, South-west England, English Midlands, Northern England, Southern Scotland, Northern Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Living adults found May to July, or August. S. decorata (Middle Lace Border, adventive), S. emutaria (Rosy Wave), S. floslactata (Cream Wave), S. imitaria (Small Blood-vein), S. immorata (Lewes Wave, confined to the Lewes district, perhaps extinct), S. immutata (Lesser Cream Wave), S. limboundata (adventive, one unconfirmed record), S. marginepunctata (Mullein Wave), S. nigropunctata (Sub-angled Wave), S. ornata (Lace Border), S. rubiginata (Tawny Wave), S. ternata Smoky Wave), S. virgulata (Streaked Wave, adventive).
Subfamily. Sterrhinae.
Illustrations. • British Scopula species: Newman 1869). 1, Scopula ornata (Lace Border); 2, S. nigropunctata (Sub-angled Wave); 3, S. rubiginata (Tawny Wave); 4, S. emutaria (Rosy Wave); 5, S. imitaria (Small Blood-vein); 6, S. marginepunctata (Mullein Wave); 7, S. immutata (Lesser Cream Wave); 8, S. floslactata (Cream Wave); 9, S. ternata (Smoky Wave). From Newman (1969). • Sterrhinae (‘Waves’): Kirby 44 (part). STERRHINAE. 7, Rhodometra sacraria (Vestal); 18, Idaea emarginata (Small Scallop); 22, "Idaea trilineata"; 23, "Idaea similata"; 24, Idaea ochrata (Bright Wave); 25, Idaea muricata (Purple-bordered Gold); 26, Idaea dimidiata (Single-dotted Wave); 27, Idaea seriata (Small Dusty Wave); 28, Idaea biselata (Small Fan-footed Wave); 29, Idaea rusticata (Least Carpet); 30, Idaea humiliata (Isle of Wight Wave); 31, Idaea aversata (Riband Wave); 32, Scopula immorata (Lewes Wave); 33, Scopula rubiginata (Tawny Wave). Names of exotic species (in quotes) are those given by Kirby.
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’.
