Large emerald
| Large emerald | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Geometridae |
| Tribe: | Geometrini |
| Genus: | Geometra |
| Species: | G. papilionaria |
| Binomial name | |
| Geometra papilionaria Linnaeus, 1758 | |
- The large emerald is also one of the Twenty Treasures of Zork from the Infocom text adventure Zork I.
The large emerald, (Geometra papilionaria), is a moth, the type species for the family Geometridae. It is found throughout the Palearctic region and the Near East.
Description
This is a large and attractive species, as the specific name suggests very butterfly like, with a wingspan of 50–65 mm. Newly emerged adults are bright green with darker green and white fascia, though the green colouration fades after a few days.The characteristic fascia take the form of three jagged, broken lines of white spots on the front wings, of which two semicircular rows continue over the hindwings. It flies at night from June to August [1] and is attracted to light.
Biology
The larva is brown at first, turning green later, and feeds mainly on birch though it has also been recorded on alder, beech, hazel and rowan. The species overwinters as a larva.
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Caterpillar before (left) and after sprouting (right)
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Front view of the moth
Subspecies
- G. p. papilionaria Europe to the Urals, Southwest Siberia, Turkey, Caucasus, Transcaucasus
- G. p. herbacearia Ménétries, 1859 West Siberia - Southeast Siberia, Korea
- G. p. subrigua (Proute, 1935) Japan
References
- ↑ The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.
- Chinery, Michael Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe 1986 (Reprinted 1991)
- Skinner, Bernard Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles 1984
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Geometra papilionaria. |