Idaea seriata

(Schrank, 1802)

  • Subfamily: Sterrhinae, Sterrhini
  • Wingspan: 15-21 mm
  • Flight period: May - Oct
  • Spread: Common
  • Host plants: Polyphagous

Information

The Idaea seriata is a moth of the Geometridae family, subfamily Sterrhinae, with a wingspan of 15-21 mm.
It is distributed throughout Europe, it is absent from Ireland.
In Italy it is also present in the islands. *

The wings of the Idaea seriata have a base color that varies from white to gray, to cream, with a series of dusting and gray-black waves that make the livery quite variable, but without a real distinctive character apart from the black discal spot, which is typical of the genus.
Near the margin two dark shade bands are visible, interspersed with a third in the background color. The margin has dark spots and the fringes are in the background color. The head, thorax and abdomen are the same color as the wings.

Adults fly in two generations per year; generally from May to July and from August to early October. During very mild periods, the species can emerge much earlier (March) and fly much later until late December. ***
It is found in woods, gardens and uncultivated land, the habitats in any case are many, normally in flight at night, occasionally it is attracted by artificial light. It overwinters in the form of a larva.

The eggs are ovoid, white, translucent. **
The caterpillar is normally brown in color, with lateral brown spots and rhomboid patterns, not well defined, dorsally. **
The pupa is yellow ocher with brown spots and spots, the cremaster area is brown and has a series of filiform hooked appendages of the same color. **
Pupation occurs on the ground in a cocoon. ***

The larva feeds on a wide range of herbaceous plants, including Hedera (ivy) and Taraxacum officinale (dandelion), also reported Malus (apple tree), Lonicera, Plantago, Urtica (nettle). ****


* Lepidoptera mundi https://lepidoptera.eu/ - Fauna Europea https://fauna-eu.org/
** Bestimmungshilfe für die in Europa nachgewiesenen Schmetterlingsarten - http://lepiforum.de/
*** Catalogue of the Lepidoptera of Belgium - https://projects.biodiversity.be/lepidoptera/
**** Roland Robineau, Guide de papillons nocturne de France, Delachaux et Niestlé, 2011 p.40

Idaea seriata
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Idaea seriata
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Idaea seriata
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