''Eupithecia plumbeolata'', the lead-coloured pug, is a
moth of the family
Geometridae. The species can be found all over
Europe ranging to the
Urals, then through Central Asia to
Siberia and to
Sayan mountains, the
Altai and the
Amur. In the
Alps, the species occurs up 2000 metres above sea level and in the
Pyrenees up to in 2400 metres.
The
wingspan is 14–15 mm. The ground color of both forewings and hindwings is grey-brown to lead. All wings have alternating light and dark cross lines. These are weaker on the rear wings. Discal flecks have been identified. The abdomen is grey to grey-brown.
[Prout, L. B. (1912–16). Geometridae. In A. Seitz (ed.) ''The Macrolepidoptera of the World''. The Palaearctic Geometridae, 4. 479 pp. Alfred Kernen, Stuttgar]
pdf
/ref> The larva is grey-yellow with two red dorsal stripes.
Depending on the location, the moth flies from May to June.
The larvae feed on ''Melampyrum pratense
''Melampyrum pratense'', the common cow-wheat, is a plant species in the family Orobanchaceae.
The seed of the plant has an elaiosome, which is attractive to wood ants (''Formica'' spp.). The ants disperse the seeds of the plant when they take ...
''.
The species preferably inhabits light forests, forest edges, as well as hedge and bushes landscapes.
Subspecies
*''Eupithecia plumbeolata plumbeolata''
*''Eupithecia plumbeolata lutosaria'' Bohatsch, 1893 Ukraine, to Asia minor, the Caucasus and in Georgia.
Similar species
*'' Eupithecia haworthiata''
*''Eupithecia valerianata
''Eupithecia valerianata'', the valerian pug, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1813. It is found from Great Britain, through central Europe to western Russia, Belarus and northern Iran. ''
*'' Eupithecia pygmaeata''
References
External links
Lead-coloured Pug on UKmothsLepiforum.de
Moths described in 1809
plumbeolata
Moths of Europe
Moths of Asia
Insects of Iceland
Taxa named by Adrian Hardy Haworth
{{Eupithecia-stub