''Cyclophora annularia'', the mocha, 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

Johan Christian Fabricius Johan Christian Fabricius (7 January 1745 – 3 March 1808) was a Danish zoologist, specialising in "Insecta", which at that time included all arthropods: insects, arachnids, crustaceans and others. He was a student of Carl Linnaeus, and is cons ...

in 1775 and it can be found in Europe. Its

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 . Normally, the wings of this species are yellowish white, inclining to ochreous yellow with the blackish central shade near to and sometimes united with the blackish irregular and outwardly toothed second cross line on both fore and hind wings.The rings are deep brown or blackish. There is variation in the width and intensity of the central shade, and the rings sometimes are absent on the fore wings (ab. ''obsoleta'', Riding), and occasionally all the wings are devoid of the annular mark (ab. ''biobsoleta'', Riding). Examples of a second generation reared in captivity are rather deeper coloured, and have a sprinkling of black scales, chiefly on the fore wings. The caterpillar is dark green, yellow between the rings; there are three yellow lines along the back, the outer ones waved. The head is reddish brown, paler marked. There is also a pale ochreous brown form. South R. (1908) ''The Moths of the British Isles'', (Second Series), Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd., London & NY: 388 pp. Adults are on wing from May to August depending on the location. The

larvae 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 ...

feed on

maple ''Acer'' () is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated since http ...

tree leaves. The name derives from a fancied resemblance to the Mocha stone.

References

External links

Mocha on UKMothsLepiforum.de
Moths described in 1775 Cyclophora (moth) Moths of Europe Taxa named by Johan Christian Fabricius {{Sterrhinae-stub