Mottled Beauty

The mottled beauty (''Alcis repandata'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''.

Subspecies and forms

Subspecies and forms include:
*''Alcis repandata muraria''
*''Alcis repandata repandata''
*''Alcis repandata sodorensium''
*''Alcis repandata f. conversaria''
*''Alcis repandata f. nigricata''

Distribution

''Alcis repandata'' is a common species of Europe and the Near East, extending throughout Europe to the Urals, in the south over the Mediterranean, Asia Minor, the Caucasus to Kazakhstan and in the north to the Arctic Circle.

Habitat

The species inhabits deciduous, mixed and coniferous forests, bushy heaths, meadows, marshes and settlement areas. In the Alps occurs up to 1800 meters.

Description

''Alcis repandata'' has a wingspan reaching 30–45 mm.Mottled beauty at ''UKMoths''
/ref> This is an extremely variable species, typically being buff or grey with black bars along the costa, but often with a broad blackish band across the forewings.
Meyrick describes it - The head is grey mixed with whitish and fuscous. The forewings are light ochreous-brown, sprinkled with black and sometimes with whitish. The first line is curved, the median line is twice sinuate and dark fuscous, sometimes partly confluent. The second line is dark fuscous, roundly projecting above and below the middle. The subterminal is waved and pale or whitish, partially dark-margined. There is a blackish discal spot before the median. The hindwings are as the forewings, but the lines are less marked and regular. There is a discal dot beyond median. Melanic forms are also common, especially in industrial areas. In all but the darkest variations the most characteristic feature is a pale zigzag line across the hindwing. The larva is pale greenish-ochreous, brown-marked, sometimes suffused with dark grey, dusted with yellow. The dorsal line is brown or dark grey, distinct on segments 2–4, often obsolete elsewhere. Segments 5-12 sometimes have pale dorsal diamonds. See also Prout (1912–16)

This species is rather similar to Willow Beauty ('' Peribatodes rhomboidaria'') and its congeners. See Townsend et al.

Biology

This moth flies at night in June and July in the British Isles. It is attracted to light.

The larva feeds on the leaves and soft bark of a wide range of trees and other plants (see list below).

The species overwinters as a small larva.

Recorded food plants

Host plants include:

*''Alnus'' – alder
*''Betula'' – birch
*''Calluna'' – heather
*''Crataegus'' – hawthorn
*''Cytisus'' – broom
*''Filipendula'' – meadowsweet
*''Ligustrum'' – privet
*''Lonicera'' – honeysuckle
*''Quercus'' – oak
*''Rhododendron''
*''Ribes'' – currant
*''Rubus'' – bramble
*''Rumex'' – dock
*''Salix'' – willow
*''Sorbus'' – rowan
*''Tilia'' – lime
*''Vaccinium''
HOSTS database, National History Museum, London
Retrieved 2024

Subspecies

*''Alcis jubata jubata''

Gallery

File: Alcis repandata (larva) - Mottled beauty (caterpillar) - Дымчатая пяденица ивовая (гусеница) (40205895544).jpg, Caterpillar
File: Alcis repandata - Mottled beauty (pupa) - Дымчатая пяденица ивовая (куколка) (40205895454).jpg, Chrysalis
File: Geometridae - Alcis repandata .JPG, Imago
File: Alcis repandata.female.jpg, Mounted specimen
File:Alcis repandata.conversaria.jpg, Male ''Alcis repandata'' f. ''conversaria''

References

*Chinery, Michael ''Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe'' 1986 (Reprinted 1991)
*Skinner, Bernard ''Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles'' 1984

External links

*
Alcis repandata
' - Biodiversity Heritage Library - Bibliography
''Lepiforum e.V.''
* Paolo Mazzei, Daniel Morel, Raniero Panfili


{{Taxonbar, from=Q46093

Boarmiini
Moths described in 1758
Moths of Europe
Moths of Asia
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus