| | Insects of Britain and Ireland: the pug moths (Lepidoptera-Geometridae) |
E. pini (Retzius), Eucymatoge togata Hübner, Eupithecia togata (Hübner), E. togaria (Boisduval
Cloaked Pug.
Adults. Posterior tibiae of males 4-spurred. Wingspan 23–28 mm. Forewings not noticeably elongate; the outer margin convexly curved; the costa arched; apically blunt.
Forewings relatively conspicuously patterned; light ochreous-greyish or purplish, with indistinct curved fuscous striae; an angulated black sub-basal stria; edges of the median band black-marked, more strongly so towards the costa, posteriorly angulated in the middle; second and fifth fasciae reddish-fuscous, the sixth fuscous. Forewings with a dark discal mark (this oval, black). Forewing fringes somewhat chequered.
Hindwings light ochreous-greyish like the forewings; patterned similarly to the forewings; conspicuously patterned (similarly marked to the forewings, but all the markings greyer and somewhat less distinct); transversely striated (matching the forewings); with a clear discal mark to without a clear discal mark; the fringes not conspicuously chequered.
The abdomen conspicuously patterned, or plain; with a brown or ferrugineous sub-basal band; with lateral series of black spots.
Neuration. Vein 10 of the forewings arising independently, anastomosing with 11 and 9 to form a double areole.
Genitalia. The male abdominal plate in the form of a single sclerotized patch with a pair of apical extensions. The bursa copulatrix with ornamentation conspicuously restricted in distribution (distal and longitudinal); coarsely, conspicuously spiny (with large spines).
Early stages, ecology. Botanically specialised. Foodplants Gymnospermous; Pinaceae. The larvae found on Picea and Abies; feeding on unripe seeds in cones.
Months of appearance, distribution. Adults abroad in June; larvae found August to October. South-east England, Central-southern England, South-west England, English Midlands, Northern England, Southern Scotland, Northern Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.
Special key characters. Forewings exhibiting a conspicuous broad median fascia from costa to dorsum, or without a conspicuous broad median fascia from costa to dorsum; without a dark grey band and two reddish-ochreous fasciae. Hindwings pale ochreous, or light brown, or pale grey, or grey.
General comments. Associated with conifers, this species has become widespread in the British Isles after probable introduction in the mid-19th Century.
Illustrations. • E. abietaria (Cloaked Pug), with larva: Barrett. Eupithecia abietaria. 1, male; 1a-1g, varieties of the female;1h, larva. From Barrett, plate 381. • E. abietaria (Cloaked Pug), with other Pugs: South. • E. abietaria, with 9 other pugs illustrated by Hubner (1790–1817). • E. abietaria (Cloaked Pug), with other Pugs: Swain. 1, Eupithecia tenuiata (Slender Pug); 2, E. inturbata (Maple Pug); 3, E. haworthiata (Haworth's Pug); 4, E. plumbeolata (Lead-coloured Pug); 5, E. irriguata (Marbled Pug); 6, E. exiguata (Mottled Pug); 7a & 7b, E. abietaria (Cloaked Pug); 8, E. pygmaeata (Marsh Pug); 9, E. linariata (Toadflax Pug); 10a-c, E. pulchellata (Foxglove Pug); 11, E. insignata (Pinion-spotted Pug); 12, E. valerianata (Valerian Pug). Adapted from Swain, 1961. • E. abietaria (Cloaked Pug), with E. centaureata and E. pygmaeata: Swain. 1a and 1b, Eupithecia abietaria (Cloaked Pug); 2, E. pygmaeata (Marsh Pug); 3a and 3b, E. centaureata (Lime-speck Pug). Adapted from Swain, 1961. • E. abietaria (Cloaked Pug), with other Pugs: Newman. 1, Eupithecia inturbata (Maple Pug); 2, E. haworthiata (Haworth's Pug); 3. E. plumbeolata (Lead-coloured Pug); 4, E. linariata (Toadflax Pug); 5, E. pulchellata (Foxglove Pug); E. irriguata (Marbled Pug); 7, E. exiguata (Mottled Pug); 8, E. insigniata (Pinion-spotted Pug); 9, E. pygmaeata (Marsh Pug); 10, E. venosata venosata (Netted Pug); 11, E. trisignaria (Triple-spotted Pug); 12, E. cauchiata (Guenee's Pug); 13, E. abietaria (Cloaked Pug); 14, E. expallidata (Bleached Pug); 15, E. subfuscata (Grey Pug); 16, E. subumbrata (Shaded Pug); 17, E. simpliciata (Plain Pug); 18, E. virgaureata (Golden-rod Pug); 19, E. abbreviata (Brindled Pug); 20, E. pusillata pusillata (Juniper Pug); 21, E. centaureata (Lime-speck Pug); 22, Chloroclystis v-ata (V-Pug); 23, Anticollix sparsata (Dentated Pug). From Newman (1869).
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 pug moths (Lepidoptera-Geometridae). Version: 27th July 2019. delta-intkey.com’.
