Rheumaptera undulata

Rheumaptera undulata, the scallop shell, is a moth of the family Geometridae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. It is found in most of the Palearctic realm and North America.[1][2][3]

Rheumaptera undulata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Geometridae
Genus:
Rheumaptera
Species:
R. undulata
Binomial name
Rheumaptera undulata
Synonyms
  • Phalaena undulata Linnaeus, 1758
  • Hydria undulata (Linnaeus, 1758)

The wingspan is 25–30 mm. The ground colour of the forewings is pale. The crosslines are darker, wavy, evenly spaced and numerous. The outer margin is pale brown with a scalloped fringe. The hindwings resemble the forewings but are paler.

There is one generation per year with adults on wing from the end of May to August in Europe.

The larvae feed on birch (including Betula verrucosa and B. pubescens), Vaccinium (including V. myrtillus and V. uliginosum) and willow species (including Salix myrtilloides, S. caprea, S. aurita, S. cinerea, S. myrsinifolia and S. phylicifolia), as well as aspen {Populus tremula), Populus balsamifera, Berberis vulgaris, Ribes alpinum, Spiraea salicifolia, rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), Elaeagnus commutata and Myrica gale. Larvae can be found in August and September. It overwinters as a pupa.

Subspecies
  • Rheumaptera undulata undulata
  • Rheumaptera undulata sajana Bryk, 1921

References
  1. Savela, Markku. "Rheumaptera undulata (Linnaeus, 1758)". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  2. Scallop Shell (Hydria undulata) on UKMoths
  3. Hydria undulata on Fauna Europaea
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