The swallow-tailed moth (''Ourapteryx sambucaria'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. It is a common species across Europe and 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 ...

Description

This is a large ( wingspan 50–62 mm), impressive moth, remarkably butterfly-like. All parts of the adult are bright white to pale yellow marked with faint buffish

fascia A fascia (; plural fasciae or fascias; adjective fascial; from Latin: "band") is a band or sheet of connective tissue, primarily collagen, beneath the skin that attaches to, stabilizes, encloses, and separates muscles and other internal organs. ...

. The species gets its common name from pointed projections on the termen of the hindwing with brownish spots at their base. It flies at night in June and July and is attracted to light, sometimes in large numbers. Prout gives an account of the variations.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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/ref> The egg is orange, with about 16 longitudinal keels and between them transverse lineations. The larva is grey-brown, the colouring arranged in a succession of scarcely noticeable longitudinal lines. The brown, twig-like larva feeds on a variety of trees and

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

s including

elder An elder is someone with a degree of seniority or authority. Elder or elders may refer to: Positions Administrative * Elder (administrative title), a position of authority Cultural * North American Indigenous elder, a person who has and tr ...

, hawthorn, honeysuckle and ivy. The species overwinters as a larva. #''The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.''

References

* Chinery, Michael ''Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe'' 1986 (Reprinted 1991) * Skinner, Bernard ''Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles'' 1984

External links

Swallow-tailed moth on ''UKMoths''

''Lepiforum e.V.''
Ourapterygini Moths described in 1758 Geometrid moths of Great Britain Moths of Asia Moths of Europe Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus {{Ourapterygini-stub