Abraxas grossulariata
Encyclopedia
Abraxas grossulariata is a moth
of the family Geometridae, native to Europe
and North America
. Its distinctive speckled colouration has given it a common name of Magpie Moth. The caterpillar
is similarly coloured to the adult, and may be found feeding on the leaves of shrubs such as gooseberry
.
The length of the forewing is 18–25 mm.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the family Geometridae, native to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. Its distinctive speckled colouration has given it a common name of Magpie Moth. The caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
is similarly coloured to the adult, and may be found feeding on the leaves of shrubs such as gooseberry
Gooseberry
The gooseberry or ; Ribes uva-crispa, syn. R. grossularia) is a species of Ribes, native to Europe, northwestern Africa and southwestern Asia...
.
The length of the forewing is 18–25 mm.
Subspecies
- Abraxas grossulariata grossulariata
- Abraxas grossulariata karafutonis Matsumura, 1925 (Sakhalin)
- Abraxas grossulariata conspurcata Butler, 1878 (Japan)
External links
- Vlindernet
- Recente waarnemingen on waarneming.nl
- Lepidoptera of Belgium