| | Insects of Britain and Ireland: the genera of Lepidoptera-Geometridae |
Arte, Chiannia, Chiasmia, Eupelis, Eupisteria, Grammatophora, Halia, Hercyna, Itama, Itame, Macaria, Speranza, Strenia.
Adults. Diurnal (S. clathrata, S. carbonaria), or crepuscular and nocturnal. Antennae of males bipectinate, or dentate; when bipectinate, apically simple. Face rough (with projecting scales).
Wingspan 23–37 mm. The outer margin of the forewing convexly curved, or sigmoid-curved, or angulated; scalloped, or smooth. Forewings ochreous-whitish, whitish-fuscous, pale fuscous, ferrugineous, pale yellowish, white or yellowish-white, usually strigulated darker; with a clear discal mark, or without a clear discal mark; eye-spotted above (S. notata), or without eye-spots above. Forewings of the male with a fovea. The outer margin of the hindwings rounded (S. brunneata), or angled to tailed; scalloped to smooth. Hindwings conspicuously patterned, or plain; with ground colour more or less as in forewings; not predominantly green, yellow, or black; with a clear discal mark, or without a clear discal mark; transversely lined (the lines distinct or obscure, the first often absent).
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 diverse Dicot trees, shrubs and herbs, also Pinus.
British representation. 9 species (2 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 August. S. alternaria (Sharp-angled Peacock), S. brunneata (= Itame, Rannoch Looper), S. carbonaria (Netted Mountain Moth), S. clathrata (Latticed Heath), S. signaria (adventive), S. liturata (Tawny Barred Angle), S. notata (Peacock Moth), S. praeatomata (adventive), S. wauaria (V-Moth).
Subfamily. Ennominae.
Illustrations. • British Abraxas, Ligdia, Lomaspilis and Semiothisa (including Itame, Macaria): Newman. 1a, Abraxas grossulariata (Magpie or Currant Moth, typical form); 1b-e, Abraxas grossulariata, varieties; 2, Abraxas sylvata (Scarce or Clouded Magpie); 3, Ligdia adustata (Scorched Carpet); 4a-d. Lomaspilis marginata (Clouded Border); 5, Semiothisa (macaria) alternaria (Sharp-angled Peacock); 6, Semiothisa (Macaria) notata (Peacock Moth); 7, Semiothisa (Macaria) carbonaria (Netted Mountain Moth); 8, Semiothisa (Macaria) liturata (Tawny-barred Angle); 9, Semiothisa (Macaria) wauaria (V-moth); 10, Semiothisa (Macaria) clathrata (Latticed Heath); 11, Semiothisa (Itame) pinetaria (Rannoch Looper). From Newman, 1869. • Oenochrominae and Ennominae: Kirby 47. OENOCHROMINAE. 17, Alsophila aescularia (March Moth). ENNOMINAE. 1, Epione vespertaria (Dark Bordered Beauty); 2, Epione repandaria (Bordered Beauty); 3, Cepphis advenaria (Little Thorn); 4, "Hypoplectis adspersaria", = ?; 5, Pseudopanthera macularia (Speckled Yellow); 6, Eilicrinia cordiaria; 7, Semiothisa alternaria (Sharp-angled Peacock); 8, Semiothisa signaria ; 9, Semiothisa liturata (Tawny Barred Angle); 10, cf. Epirrhanthis diversata; 11, Theria primaria (Early Moth); 12, Agriopis bajaria; 13, Agriopis leucophaearia (Spring Usher); 14, Agriopis aurantiaria (Scarce Umber); 15, Agriopis marginaria (Dotted Border); 16, Erannis defoliaria (Mottled Umber); 18, Phigalia pilosaria (Pale Brindled Beauty); 19, Apocheima hispidaria (Small Brindled Beauty); 20, Lycia pomonaria; 21, Lycia zonaria (Belted Beauty); 22, Lycia hirtaria (Brindled Beauty); 23, Biston strataria (Oak Beauty); 24, Biston betularia (Peppered Moth); 25, Menophra abruptaria (Waved Umber); 26, "Nychiodes lividaria", cf. Eunychiodes amygdalaria?. From Kirby 47, with updated names. • Ennominae: Semiothisa (Macaria) liturata (Original generic description. Tawny-barred Angle: B. Ent. 132). • Semiothisa (Macaria) liturata: B. Ent. 132, legend+text. Macaria Curtis, first described here, was submerged in Semiothisa during the Twentieth Century, but has recently been re-instated (Bradley, 2000). • Semiothisa (Macaria) liturata: B. Ent. 132, text cont.. • Semiothisa (Macaria, Itame) brunneata (Rannoch Looper: B. Ent. 225). • Semiothisa (Macaria, Itame) brunneata: B. Ent. 225, legend+text. • Semiothisa (Macaria, Itame) brunneata: B. Ent. 225, text cont..
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’.
