Mottled pug
The mottled pug (Eupithecia exiguata) is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1813. It is found across the Palearctic region apart from around the Mediterranean Sea. It is common in the British Isles apart from Scotland where it is rather local.
| Mottled pug | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Geometridae |
| Genus: | Eupithecia |
| Species: | E. exiguata |
| Binomial name | |
| Eupithecia exiguata | |
| Synonyms | |
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The wingspan is 20–22 mm and the forewings are brown marked with pale radial lines and a black discal spot. The hindwings are cream or grey also with a discal spot. The species flies at night in May and June and is attracted to light, sometimes in large numbers.
The larva feeds on the foliage of various trees and shrubs (see list below). The species overwinters as a pupa.
Subspecies
- Eupithecia exiguata exiguata
- Eupithecia exiguata muricolor Prout, 1938
Recorded food plants
- Acer – sycamore
- Berberis
- Crataegus – hawthorn
- Lonicera – honeysuckle
- Malus – apple
- Prunus
- Ribes – redcurrant
- Sorbus – rowan
References
- Yu, Dicky Sick Ki. "Eupithecia exiguata (Hubner 1813)". Home of Ichneumonoidea. Taxapad. Archived from the original on 24 March 2016.
- Chinery, Michael Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe 1986 (Reprinted 1991)
- Skinner, Bernard Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles 1984
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