The brindled pug (''Eupithecia abbreviata'') is a

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

of the family

Geometridae The geometer moths are moths belonging to the family Geometridae of the insect order Lepidoptera, the moths and butterflies. Their scientific name derives from the Ancient Greek ''geo'' γεω (derivative form of or "the earth"), and ''met ...

found in Europe including the British Isles as well as further east to the Baltic States,

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...

, Turkey and the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historically ...

. South it reaches

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

Description

The

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingspan of ...

is 19–22 mm. The length of the forewings is 10–12 mm. The forewing is elongate, the hindwing is small, with the distal margin almost straight from near the apex to behind middle. The forewing has a decided tinge of ochreous and there are strong dark vein-dashes proximally to postmedian line, those on the median veins especially well developed. Antennal ciliation not very long. — ''hirschkei'' Bastelb., prevalent in the Middle Rhine district, is more weakly marked.Prout, L. B. (1912–16). Geometridae. In A. Seitz (ed.) ''The Macrolepidoptera of the World''. The Palaearctic Geometridae, 4. 479 pp. Alfred Kernen, Stuttgar
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Adult caterpillars are smooth and slender. They are coloured light grey to yellow-grey and show on the back large dark brown, diamond-like spots. The strongly jagged side stripes are also dark brown. The adults fly in April and May . The habitat is oak forests, mixed oak forests, oak avenues and parkland. In the Southern Alps, it rises to heights of 1100 metres. The

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) 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. The ...

e feed on

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

and

hawthorn Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to: Plants * '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae * ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...

Similar species

'' Eupithecia dodoneata'' has a more grey-tone appearance and the marks are clearly set off. A safe determination is usually only possible by means of a genital morphological examination.

References

External links

Brindled pug on ''UKMoths''''Lepiforum e.V.''''De Vlinderstichting''
Eupithecia Moths described in 1831 Moths of Africa Moths of Asia Moths of Europe Taxa named by James Francis Stephens {{Eupithecia-stub