Horisme vitalbata

• Subfamily: Larentiinae, Melanthiini
• Wingspan: 27-35 mm
• Flight period: May - Aug
• Spread: Common
• Host plants: Clematis vitalba

Information

The Horisme vitalbata also called Small Waved Umber is a moth of the Geometridae family, Larentiinae subfamily, with a 27-35 mm wingspan.
It is distributed throughout Europe, with the exception of Ireland and Norway. *
In Italy it is also present in the islands. *
Its range also extends to temperate Asia. ***

The background color of the wings of the Horisme vitalbata is light brown with a brown triangular band which has the vertex on the apex of the wing and the base in the middle of the internal margin. a series of dark lines surround the triangular band both in the basal region and in the postiscal region. A brown-black dashed line is clearly visible on the edge. The costa is brown / black in the basal region to fade into the background color of the wings near the apex.
The hind wings have a very similar color to that of the front wings even if lighter. When at rest the wings represent a continuous drawing. The head is brown, the thorax is light brown and the abdomen is brown / black with a light brown end.

This moth is bivoltine with a first generation from May to June and the second in August, in particularly favorable conditions, the period extends to April and September. It is found on calcareous soils at the edge of the woods and on the hedges and in all soils that allow the development of the host plant. The caterpillar, visible from May to October.

The eggs are ovoid white, shiny. Caterpillars are brown / greyish in color with lighter longitudinal lines and some black dots. The chrysalis is dark brown with amber shades with well developed wing area. **

The larva feeds on Clematis species, especially Clematis vitalba, but there have also been sightings on Pulsatilla. ***


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