Epirrhoe cf. rivata

• Subfamily: Larentiinae, Xanthorhoini
• Wingspan: 24-32 mm
• Flight period: Jun - Aug
• Spread: Common
• Host plants: Rubiaceae

Information

The Epirrhoe rivata also called Wood Carpet is a moth of the Geometridae family, Larentiinae subfamily, with a wingspan of 24-32 mm.
It is distributed throughout Europe, with the exception of Ireland, in Italy it is also present in the islands. *
It is also present throughout the Palearctic region as well as in the Middle East.

The background color of the front wings of the Epirrhoe rivata varies from gray to brown / black, with whitish stripes and with gray and dark brown bands. A white band with a gray line in the center, near the margin, is clearly visible in the postmedian band. The hind wings are a lighter gray also with a white band. However, it is a fairly variable moth in the intensity of the colors.
Head, thorax are gray / brown, the abdomen has the same color with two dark marks on each segment that are increasingly lighter moving towards the anal area. **

Hardly distinguishable from the related species Epirrhoe alternata which, in addition to having a narrower postmedian white band than the Epirrhoe rivata , and with the gray line that crosses the entire band clearly, it is also slightly smaller.
Univoltina, flies from June to August. It has one sometimes two overlapping generations, the first from June until the beginning of August, the second from July to September. It overwinters at the pupa stage in the ground.

It can be found in a wide range of habitats, from woods, to deciduous forests, grassy slopes and clearings, it does not like swampy areas. Mainly nocturnal, where it is attracted by artificial light it is sometimes also active during the day.

The egg is white, shiny and oblong. The larva is generally sandy with clear lines on the back in the first three and last two segments, with dark brown "V" markings and white diamonds on the remaining segments. The head is light with some dark brown markings at the union of the cephalic capsules. **
The pupa has a brown / reddish color, the Cremaster in the terminal part, is divided into two small outgrowths. **

The larvae feed on Rubiaceae in particular on Galium and Galium mollugo.


* Lepidoptera mundi https://lepidoptera.eu/ - Fauna Europea https://fauna-eu.org/
** Bestimmungshilfe für die in Europa nachgewiesenen Schmetterlingsarten - http://lepiforum.de/