''Isturgia limbaria'', the frosted yellow, 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 ...

Distribution

This species can be found in parts of Central and Southern

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

. It is extinct in Britain.

Habitat

These moths inhabit heathers, edge of the forests and scrubby areas.Suffolh Moths
/ref>

Description

''Isturgia limbaria'' has a

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 ...

of . Forewings can reach a length of . The male has feathered antennae, while those of the females are filiform. The upperside of the wings is yellow or orange yellow with a chocolate brown margin, less evident in the females. The underside of the hindwings is pale yellowish or greyish and strongly mottled, with visible longitudinal white stripes.

Biology

These day-flying moths fly from mid April to mid August in one or two generation. The

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e feed on

broom A broom (also known as a broomstick) is a cleaning tool, consisting of usually stiff fibers (often made of materials such as plastic, hair, or corn husks) attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. It is thus a ...

. They over-winter as a pupa.Hants Moths
/ref> #''The flight season refers to

The Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

and

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

. This may vary in other parts of the range.''

References

External links

*Paolo Mazzei, Daniel Morel, Raniero Panfil
Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North AfricaLepiforum.deVlindernet.nl
Macariini Moths of Europe Taxa named by Johan Christian Fabricius Articles containing video clips Moths described in 1775 {{Macariini-stub