The cloaked pug (''Eupithecia abietaria'') is a
moth
Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...
of the family
Geometridae
The geometer moths are moth
Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyleti ...
. The species was
first described by
Johann August Ephraim Goeze
Johann August Ephraim Goeze (; 28 May 1731 – 27 June 1793) was a German zoologist, born in Aschersleben. He is known for the discovery of tardigrades, also called water bears. He was the son of Johann Heinrich and Catherine Margarete (née Ki ...
in 1781 and it can be found in Europe and to the east in
Siberia
Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...
and Japan.
The
wingspan
The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the opposite wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingsp ...
is 21–23 mm. It is a large and handsome species, the lines sharply expressed and marked with black teeth or dashes on the veins. There is a very large discal dot and two red-brown bands. The face is without well-developed cone of scales and the palpus is about twice as long as the diameter of the eye The forewing has a double areole . - ab. ''constricta'' ab. nov.
rout
A rout is a Panic, panicked, disorderly and Military discipline, undisciplined withdrawal (military), retreat of troops from a battlefield, following a collapse in a given unit's discipline, command authority, unit cohesion and combat morale ...
has the median area reduced to a width of only 1-2 mm. and the antemedian and postmedian lines ere connected by black veins. - ''debrunneata'' Stgr., from the Ussuri district, is more mixed with blackish, the red-brown tone wanting - ''gigantea'' Stgr.
ow species ''Eupithecia gigantea'' Staudinger, 1897">Eupithecia_gigantea.html" ;"title="ow species ''Eupithecia gigantea">ow species ''Eupithecia gigantea'' Staudinger, 1897 from the Ussuri district and Japan, is darker grey than in ''debrunneata'', the reddish bands (as in ''rufescens'') strongly developed.
[Vladimir Mironov, Axel Hausmann, David Wilson ''The Geometrid Moths of Europe'', Volume 4 Larentinae II (Perizomini and Eupitheciini) E J Brill] The oval egg is characterized by regular, large, hexagonal depressions on the shell sculpture. Final instar larvae are thick, fleshy red coloured and show no patterns. The pupa is dark reddish-brown and has two strong hook bristles on the cremaster as well as several fine bristles.
The moths flies from June to July depending on the location.
The larvae feed on ''Picea abies'', ''Picea sitchensis'' and ''Abies procera''.
Subspecies
There are two recognized subspecies:
*''Eupithecia abietaria abietaria''
*''Eupithecia abietaria debrunneata''
Similar species
''
Eupithecia analoga'' is smaller, has less contrasted markings and differs in particular by the significantly longer palpi.
A genital morphological examination is also recommended for a clear assignment.
References
External links
*
Cloaked pug on ''UKMoths''''Fauna Europaea''''Lepiforum e.V.''
Eupithecia
Moths described in 1781
Moths of Asia
Moths of Europe
Taxa named by Johann August Ephraim Goeze
{{Eupithecia-stub