''Ligdia adustata'', the scorched carpet, 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.

Etymology

The species Latin name ''adusta'', meaning ''burnt'', refers to the scorched appearance of the wings of these moths.

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 25–30 mm. The basic color of the wings is glossy white, creamy white or light brownish. The basal area of the forewings is dark brown and can sometimes be slightly blue-grey. Across the forewings near the outer margin there is a blue-grey and brown wavy band. Hindwings are whitish with wavy pale brown lines on the slightly wavy outer edges. The underside of the wings is suffused with reddish brown. Vlindernet.nl
/ref> Larvae are moderately stout, bright green with red dorsal spots, a red lateral blotch on the 1st—2nd abdominals and red marks on claspers; a rare variety is grey-brown. The pupae are red-brown with blackish wings. ''Ligdia adustata'' has two generations per year ( bivoltine species). The adults fly in April–May, and later in July–August, but the flight season varies greatly, depending on the location within the distribution range. These moths are active from dusk onwards. The larvae feed on spindle ('' Euonymus europaeus'', '' Euonymus verrucosa'' and on '' Berberis'' species. The species overwinters as a pupa.

Distribution

This species can be found in most of

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

and in the

Near East The ''Near East''; he, המזרח הקרוב; arc, ܕܢܚܐ ܩܪܒ; fa, خاور نزدیک, Xāvar-e nazdik; tr, Yakın Doğu is a geographical term which roughly encompasses a transcontinental region in Western Asia, that was once the hist ...

.Fauna europaea
/ref>

Habitat

This moth is common in various environments, mainly in shrubs, deciduous forests, thickets, parks and gardens.

References

External links

Lepiforum.de
Abraxini Moths of Europe Moths of Asia Taxa named by Michael Denis Taxa named by Ignaz Schiffermüller {{Abraxini-stub