''Perizoma blandiata'', the pretty pinion, 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 species was first described by

Michael Denis Johann Nepomuk Cosmas Michael Denis, also: ''Sined the Bard'', (27 September 1729 – 29 September 1800) was an Austrian Catholic priest and Jesuit, who is best known as a poet, bibliographer, and lepidopterist. Life Denis was born at Schärding ...

and

Ignaz Schiffermüller Ignaz Schiffermüller (born 2 October 1727 in Hellmonsödt; died 21 June 1806 in Linz) was an Austrian naturalist mainly interested in Lepidoptera. Schiffermüller was a teacher at the Theresianum College in Vienna. His collection was presented ...

in 1775. It is found from most of central and northern Europe to

central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...

as far as the

Khangai Mountains The Khangai Mountains ( mn, Хангайн нуруу, Hangain nuruu, ); form a mountain range, range in central Mongolia, some west of Ulaanbaatar. Name Two provinces of Mongolia are named after the Khangai mountains: Arkhangai (North Khangai) ...

. 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 19–23 mm. It is related to '' P. minorata'' but with the band between the basal and median obsolete or very shadowy (extremely pale brown) the median band very dark anteriorly but pale in the middle, except on the veins, the hindwing rather more strongly marked. — ab. ''coarctata'' Prout has the median band narrowed to a mere thread. — ''perfasciata'' form. nov

rout A rout is a panicked, disorderly and undisciplined retreat of troops from a battlefield, following a collapse in a given unit's command authority, unit cohesion and combat morale (''esprit de corps''). History Historically, lightly-equi ...

has the median band dark throughout and appears to form a constant local race in the Hebrides. Prout, L. B. (1912–16). "Geometridae". In A. Seitz (ed.) ''The Macrolepidoptera of the World''. The Palaearctic Geometridae, 4. 479 pp. Alfred Kernen, Stuttgart. The larva is short and powerful with short bristles and pale green with a wide red longitudinal stripe on each side of the back.This colour combination represents an excellent camouflage and can be interpreted as an imitation of the reddish stem of the '' Euphrasia'' on which it feeds. The species is found on moors and other open places. There is one generation per year with adults on wing from the end of July to August. The larvae feed on '' Euphrasia'' species. The eggs are deposited on or near the flower buds. The larvae can be found from July to September. It overwinters as a pupa.

Subspecies

*''Perizoma blandiata blandiata'' *''Perizoma blandiata perfasciata'' Prout, 1914 (Hebrides, Isle of Rum, Faroe Islands)

References

External links

*
"08462 ''Perizoma blandiata'' ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) - Augentrost-Kapselspanner"
''Lepiforum e. V.'' Retrieved 11 December 2020. Perizoma Moths of Europe Moths of Asia Moths of Iceland Taxa named by Michael Denis Taxa named by Ignaz Schiffermüller {{Larentiinae-stub