Willow Beauty
Encyclopedia
| image = Peribatodes.rhomboidaria.7197.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = Adult male from Dresden
(Germany)
| regnum = Animal
ia
| phylum = Arthropod
a
| classis = Insect
a
| ordo = Lepidoptera
| zoodivisio = Ditrysia
| familia = Geometridae
| tribus = Boarmiini
| genus = Peribatodes
| species = P. rhomboidaria
| binomial = Peribatodes rhomboidaria
| binomial_authority = (Denis
& Schiffermüller
, 1775)
| synonyms =
Numerous, see text
}}
The Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) is a moth
of the family Geometridae. It is a common species of Europe
and adjacent regions (Near East
and the Maghreb
). While it is found widely throughout Scandinavia
n countries, which have a maritime climate, it is absent from parts of the former USSR which are at the same latitude
but have a more continental climate
.
Up to four subspecies are listed by some authors, while others consider the Willow Beauty a monotypic
species or accept only rhomboidaria and sublutearia as distinct:
Under its junior synonym Geometra rhomboidaria, the Willow Beauty is the type species
of its genus
Peribatodes
. This was initially proposed as a subgenus
of Boarmia but eventually elevated to full genus rank.
The adult's wingspan
is 40–48 mm. The wings of this species are whitish-grey or -yellowish, though they have a buff or grey appearance from a distance, as they are heavily speckled with brown or black dots. Running over the fore- and hindwings in a semicircle are the two blackish bands commonly found in Ennominae
, but they are broken and somewhat indistinct in this species. A tell-tale characteristic is a single bulge in the forewing part of the outer blackish bands. Melanic
forms (e.g. rebeli) sometimes occur. The sexes can be distinguished by their antenna
e, which are strongly feathered in the male, but almost smooth in the female.
This moth inhabits woodland
, garden
s and similar habitat
. Either one or two generation
s occur each year, depending on locality. The adults are on the wing during summer – e.g. June to September on the British Isles
, while in the more continental climate
of Austria they are rarely seen anymore in late August. They fly at night and are attracted to light.
The caterpillar
larva
is reddish-brown and feeds on a variety of tree
s and shrub
s, but – despite its name – rarely or never on willow
s (Salix). The species overwinters as a small larva. As evidenced by the species' distribution, it does not seem to tolerate severe and dry winters very well.
to a specific lineage of foodplants. Rather, they eat foliage of a wide range of eudicots, as well as some other plants. Recorded foodplants include:
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = Adult male from Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
(Germany)
| regnum = Animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
ia
| phylum = Arthropod
Arthropod
An arthropod is an invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton , a segmented body, and jointed appendages. Arthropods are members of the phylum Arthropoda , and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others...
a
| classis = Insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
a
| ordo = Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
| zoodivisio = Ditrysia
Ditrysia
The Ditrysia are a natural group or clade of insects in the Lepidopteran order containing both butterflies and moths. They are so named because the female has two distinct sexual openings: one for mating, and the other for laying eggs .About 98% of described species of Lepidoptera belong to Ditrysia...
| familia = Geometridae
| tribus = Boarmiini
Boarmiini
The Boarmiini are a large tribe of geometer moths in the Ennominae subfamily.-Description and systematics:...
| genus = Peribatodes
Peribatodes
Peribatodes is a genus of moth in the family Geometridae.Species include:* Peribatodes ilicaria – Lydd Beauty* Peribatodes rhomboidaria – Willow Beauty* Peribatodes secundaria – Feathered Beauty...
| species = P. rhomboidaria
| binomial = Peribatodes rhomboidaria
| binomial_authority = (Denis
Michael Denis
Johann Nepomuk Cosmas Michael Denis, also: SinedSined is an anagram of Denis. the Bard, was an Austrian poet, bibliographer, and lepidopterist....
& Schiffermüller
Ignaz Schiffermüller
Ignaz Schiffermüller was an Austrian naturalist mainly interested in Lepidoptera....
, 1775)
| synonyms =
Numerous, see text
}}
The Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) is a moth
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. It is a common species 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...
and adjacent regions (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...
and the Maghreb
Maghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
). While it is found widely throughout Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n countries, which have a maritime climate, it is absent from parts of the former USSR which are at the same latitude
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
but have a more continental climate
Continental climate
Continental climate is a climate characterized by important annual variation in temperature due to the lack of significant bodies of water nearby...
.
Up to four subspecies are listed by some authors, while others consider the Willow Beauty a monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
species or accept only rhomboidaria and sublutearia as distinct:
- Peribatodes rhomboidaria corsicaria (SchawerdaKarl SchawerdaKarl or Carl Schawerda was an Austrian Czech entomologist who specialised in Lepidoptera....
1931) - Peribatodes rhomboidaria defloraria (Dannehl 1928)
- Peribatodes rhomboidaria rhomboidaria (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)
- Peribatodes rhomboidaria sublutearia (Zerny 1927)
Under its junior synonym Geometra rhomboidaria, the Willow Beauty is the type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
of its genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Peribatodes
Peribatodes
Peribatodes is a genus of moth in the family Geometridae.Species include:* Peribatodes ilicaria – Lydd Beauty* Peribatodes rhomboidaria – Willow Beauty* Peribatodes secundaria – Feathered Beauty...
. This was initially proposed as a subgenus
Subgenus
In biology, a subgenus is a taxonomic rank directly below genus.In zoology, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the generic name and the specific epithet: e.g. the Tiger Cowry of the Indo-Pacific, Cypraea tigris Linnaeus, which...
of Boarmia but eventually elevated to full genus rank.
Description and ecology
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 40–48 mm. The wings of this species are whitish-grey or -yellowish, though they have a buff or grey appearance from a distance, as they are heavily speckled with brown or black dots. Running over the fore- and hindwings in a semicircle are the two blackish bands commonly found in Ennominae
Ennominae
Ennominae is the largest subfamily of the geometer moth family with some 9,700 described species in 1,100 genera. They are usually fairly small moth species, though some grow considerably larger. This subfamily has a global distribution. It includes some species that are notorious defoliating...
, but they are broken and somewhat indistinct in this species. A tell-tale characteristic is a single bulge in the forewing part of the outer blackish bands. Melanic
Melanism
Melanism is an undue development of dark-colored pigment in the skin or its appendages, and the opposite of albinism. It is also the medical term for black jaundice.The word is deduced from the , meaning black pigment....
forms (e.g. rebeli) sometimes occur. The sexes can be distinguished by their antenna
Antenna (biology)
Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
e, which are strongly feathered in the male, but almost smooth in the female.
This moth inhabits woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
, garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
s and similar habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
. Either one or two generation
Generation
Generation , also known as procreation in biological sciences, is the act of producing offspring....
s occur each year, depending on locality. The adults are on the wing during summer – e.g. June to September on the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
, while in the more continental climate
Continental climate
Continental climate is a climate characterized by important annual variation in temperature due to the lack of significant bodies of water nearby...
of Austria they are rarely seen anymore in late August. They fly at night and are attracted to light.
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...
larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
is reddish-brown and feeds on a variety of tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s and shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s, but – despite its name – rarely or never on willow
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
s (Salix). The species overwinters as a small larva. As evidenced by the species' distribution, it does not seem to tolerate severe and dry winters very well.
Recorded food plants
Willow Beauty larvae are highly polyphagous and not adaptedAdaptation
An adaptation in biology is a trait with a current functional role in the life history of an organism that is maintained and evolved by means of natural selection. An adaptation refers to both the current state of being adapted and to the dynamic evolutionary process that leads to the adaptation....
to a specific lineage of foodplants. Rather, they eat foliage of a wide range of eudicots, as well as some other plants. Recorded foodplants include:
- Betula (birches)
- Camellia sinensisCamellia sinensisCamellia sinensis is the species of plant whose leaves and leaf buds are used to produce Chinese tea. It is of the genus Camellia , a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. White tea, green tea, oolong, pu-erh tea and black tea are all harvested from this species, but are processed...
(Tea) - ClematisClematisClematis is a genus of about 300 species within the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. Their garden hybrids have been popular among gardeners beginning with Clematis × jackmanii, a garden standby since 1862; more hybrid cultivars are being produced constantly. They are mainly of Chinese and Japanese...
(clematises) – not in FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... - CrataegusCrataegusCrataegus , commonly called hawthorn or thornapple, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the rose family, Rosaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia and North America. The name hawthorn was originally applied to the species native to northern Europe,...
(hawthorns) - Hedera (ivies)
- LigustrumLigustrumLigustrum is a genus of about forty species of erect, deciduous or evergreen shrubs, sometimes forming small or medium-sized trees. They are now all known by the common name of privet.-Selected species:...
(privets) – not in Finland - MalusMalusMalus , the apples, are a genus of about 30–35 species of small deciduous trees or shrubs in the family Rosaceae. Other studies go as far as 55 species including the domesticated Orchard Apple, or Table apple as it was formerly called...
(apples) - PrunusPrunusPrunus is a genus of trees and shrubs, which includes the plums, cherries, peaches, apricots and almonds. There are around 430 species spread throughout the northern temperate regions of the globe. Many members of the genus are widely cultivated for fruit and ornament.-Botany:Members of the genus...
(plums, cherries, peaches) – including BlackthornBlackthornPrunus spinosa is a species of Prunus native to Europe, western Asia, and locally in northwest Africa. It is also locally naturalised in New Zealand and eastern North America....
(P. spinosa) – not in Finland – and possibly others - TaxusTaxusTaxus is a genus of yews, small coniferous trees or shrubs in the yew family Taxaceae. They are relatively slow-growing and can be very long-lived, and reach heights of 1-40 m, with trunk diameters of up to 4 m...
(yews) - VitisVitisVitis is a genus of about 60 species of vining plants in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The genus is made up of species predominantly from the Northern hemisphere. It is economically important as the source of grapes, both for direct consumption of the fruit and for fermentation to produce...
(grapevines)
Synonyms
Junior synonyms of the Willow Beauty include:- Geometra rhomboidaria Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775
- Boarmia corsicaria Schawerda, 1931
- Boarmia defloraria Dannehl, 1928
- Peribatodes dragone de Laever & Parenzan, 1986
- Boarmia psoralaria Millière, 1885
- Boarmia syritaurica Wehrli, 1931