Juniper pug

The juniper pug or juniper looper (Eupithecia pusillata) is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775. It is found throughout the Palearctic and Nearctic regions and the Near East.

Juniper pug
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Geometridae
Genus:	Eupithecia
Species:	E. pusillata
Binomial name
Eupithecia pusillata (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)[1]
Synonyms
Geometra pusillata Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775 Eupithecia quebecata Taylor, 1910 Eupithecia anglicata Herrich-Schäffer, 1863 Eupithecia expressaria Herrich-Schäffer, 1848 Eupithecia latoniata Milliere, 1882 Eupithecia scotica Dietze, 1910 Eupithecia sobrinaria Boisduval, 1840 Geometra sobrinata Hubner, 1817 Eupithecia stevensata Webb, 1896 Eupithecia masuii Inoue, 1980[2]

Subspecies E. p. interruptofasciata is sometimes treated as a valid species Eupithecia interruptofasciata.

The forewings are greyish brown with two distinctive black bands. The wingspan is 17–21 mm. The adults fly at night from July to September and are attracted to light.

In the Old World the larva feeds on Juniperus (juniper) and also on some other conifers in the cypress family such as Chamaecyparis and Thuja. In the New World there is a greater range of recorded food plants including apple, clover, raspberry, redcurrant, strawberry, sunflower and willow as well as juniper. The species overwinters as an egg.

1. ^ The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.