Scotopteryx bipunctaria
Encyclopedia
The Chalk Carpet is a moth
in the Geometridae family. It is found from Morocco
and Spain
through western and central Europe and Great Britain
to the Ural
. In the north it is found up to the Baltic region
and in the south its range extends over Italy
and the Balkan Peninsula up to the Black Sea
and Caspian Sea
.
The wingspan
is 26-32 mm. Adults are on wing from June to August in one generation per year.
The larvae feed on various low-growing plants, including Vicia
, Lotus
, Hippocrepis
and Teucrium
species. Larvae can be found from September onwards. They overwinter and pupate in May or June of the following year.
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...
in the Geometridae family. It is found from Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
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...
through western and central Europe and Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
to the Ural
Ural (region)
Ural is a geographical region located around the Ural Mountains, between the East European and West Siberian plains. It extends approximately from north to south, from the Arctic Ocean to the bend of Ural River near Orsk city. The boundary between Europe and Asia runs along the eastern side of...
. In the north it is found up to the Baltic region
Baltic region
The terms Baltic region, Baltic Rim countries, and Baltic Rim refer to slightly different combinations of countries in the general area surrounding the Baltic Sea.- Etymology :...
and in the south its range extends over Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and the Balkan Peninsula up to the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
and Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 26-32 mm. Adults are on wing from June to August in one generation per year.
The larvae feed on various low-growing plants, including Vicia
Vicia
Vicia is a genus of about 140 species of flowering plants commonly known as vetches. It is in the legume family . Member species are native to Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Africa. Some other genera of their subfamily Faboideae also have names containing "vetch", for example the...
, Lotus
Lotus
- Botany :*Lotus , various botanical taxa*Lotus *Lotus Flower, Nelumbo nucifera- Motor cars :*Lotus Cars, a British motor vehicle manufacturer**Team Lotus, a British Formula One racing team that competed between 1954 and 1994...
, Hippocrepis
Hippocrepis
Hippocrepis is a genus of ornamental plants in the family Fabaceae....
and Teucrium
Teucrium
Teucrium is a genus of perennial plants, of the family Lamiaceae. Common names for this genus include germanders. These species are herbs, shrubs or subshrubs...
species. Larvae can be found from September onwards. They overwinter and pupate in May or June of the following year.
Subspecies
- Scotopteryx bipunctaria bipunctaria
- Scotopteryx bipunctaria cretata (Prout, 1937)
- Scotopteryx bipunctaria maritima (Seebold, 1879)