Scotopteryx moeniata
Encyclopedia
The Fortified Carpet is a moth
of the Geometridae family. It is found in most of Europe
except the north. It is also found in the Near East
.
It is no longer present in The Netherlands and is a rare species in Belgium
. In Belgium it was only recorded from the south, but recently a population was discovered in Flanders
. It is not though to be present in Great Britain
, although there are a couple of unconfirmed records from northern England in the late 19th century, and one in Jersey in 1973.
The wingspan
is 28–32 mm. Adults are on wing from mid July to the beginning of September. There is one generation per year.
The larva feed on various Cytisus
species.
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 Geometridae family. It is found in most of 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...
except the north. It is also found in the Near East
Near East
The Near East is a geographical term that covers different countries for geographers, archeologists, and historians, on the one hand, and for political scientists, economists, and journalists, on the other...
.
It is no longer present in The Netherlands and is a rare species in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. In Belgium it was only recorded from the south, but recently a population was discovered in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
. It is not though to be present in 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...
, although there are a couple of unconfirmed records from northern England in the late 19th century, and one in Jersey in 1973.
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 28–32 mm. Adults are on wing from mid July to the beginning of September. There is one generation per year.
The larva feed on various Cytisus
Cytisus
Cytisus is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It belongs to the subfamily Faboideae.-Selected species:* Cytisus arboreus DC.* Cytisus ardoini E.Fourn.* Cytisus baeticus Steud....
species.