Epione vespertaria

Epione vespertaria
Epione vespertaria. Male
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Epione
Species: E. vespertaria
Binomial name
Epione vespertaria
(Linnaeus, 1767)
Synonyms
  • Phalaena vespertaria Linnaeus, 1767
  • Epione paralellaria (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)

Epione vespertaria, the dark bordered beauty, is a moth of the family Geometridae.

Description

The wingspan is 25–30 mm. Adults are sexually dimorphic. In the males the wings are darker and more yellow ocher in colour, while in the females they are pale yellow. Both sexes show on the wings a purplish-grey border of even width (hence the Latin name Epione paralellaria). On the forewings and on the hindwings there is a small black spot. Adults are on wing from the end of June to September in one generation.

The caterpillars are brown or violet-brown with a whitish tinge underside. They feed on Betula, Corylus avellana, Populus tremula and Salix. Larvae can be found from May to June. The species overwinters as an egg.

Distribution

The dark bordered beauty is widespread from south-western Europe to the Amur River.

Habitat

This species can be found in many different habitats (plains, mountains, wet heathlands, damp woodlands, etc.).

Subspecies

  • Epione vespertaria vespertaria
  • Epione vespertaria amura Wehrli, 1940

References


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