Abraxas pantaria
Encyclopedia
Abraxas pantaria, known commonly as the Light Magpie or Spotted Ash Looper is a species of moth
belonging to the family Geometridae. It was described by Linnaeus in 1767. It is found in the Mediterranean and
is common in Portugal
and Spain
. It is also known from the United Kingdom
, Ireland
, Croatia
, Armenia
and Georgia
south-eastern Russia
and Turkey
.
The wingspan is 38-42 mm for females and 35-40 mm for males. Adults are white to creamy (bone color). The head, thorax and abdomen have light brown hairs and the thorax and each abdominal segment has dark brown spots. The wings are white, although the base of the wings is darker, almost the same color of thorax. The forewings have light brown spots toward the apical margin very close to the middle, forming an irregular band. The hindwings have smaller spots.
The larvae feed on the leaves of Fraxinus excelsior and are considered a pest. The newly hatched caterpillars mostly feed on the lower epidermis and parenchyma tissue, leaving a
network of veins. As the caterpillars grow, the size of these grooves increases. Infested leaves usually dry and turn brownish in time. The damage caused can be significant and some trees may be completely defoliated. There are five instars.
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...
belonging to the family Geometridae. It was described by Linnaeus in 1767. It is found in the Mediterranean and
is common in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. It is also known from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
and Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
south-eastern Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
The wingspan is 38-42 mm for females and 35-40 mm for males. Adults are white to creamy (bone color). The head, thorax and abdomen have light brown hairs and the thorax and each abdominal segment has dark brown spots. The wings are white, although the base of the wings is darker, almost the same color of thorax. The forewings have light brown spots toward the apical margin very close to the middle, forming an irregular band. The hindwings have smaller spots.
The larvae feed on the leaves of Fraxinus excelsior and are considered a pest. The newly hatched caterpillars mostly feed on the lower epidermis and parenchyma tissue, leaving a
network of veins. As the caterpillars grow, the size of these grooves increases. Infested leaves usually dry and turn brownish in time. The damage caused can be significant and some trees may be completely defoliated. There are five instars.