''Eupithecia extensaria'', the scarce pug, is a
moth of the family
Geometridae. The species was
first described by
Christian Friedrich Freyer in 1844.
It is found in the British Isles (rare, and confined to eastern
saltmarshes
A salt marsh or saltmarsh, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. It is dominated ...
), Spain and eastern Europe.
The
wingspan is 21–25 mm.
The moth flies in both May and June.
The larvae feed on sea wormwood (''
Artemisia maritima
''Artemisia maritima'' is a European species of wormwood known as sea wormwood and old woman. It is native to France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Bulgaria and Russia.
In its many variations of form it has an e ...
'').
[ Wikisource:The Moths of the British Isles Second Series/Chapter 9#238]
Subspecies
*''Eupithecia extensaria extensaria''
*''Eupithecia extensaria leuca''
Dietze, 1910
*''Eupithecia extensaria occidua''
Prout, 1914
References
extensaria
Moths described in 1844
Moths of Europe
{{Eupithecia-stub