Engrailed

The Engrailed Ectropis crepuscularia
Photo courtesy of Entomart.be
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Subphylum: Hexapoda Class: Insecta Order: Lepidoptera (unranked): Macrolepidoptera Superfamily: Geometroidea Family: Geometridae Subfamily: Ennominae Tribe: Boarmiini Genus: Ectropis Species: E. crepuscularia
Binomial name
Ectropis crepuscularia Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775

The Engrailed (Ectropis crepuscularia) is a moth of the family Geometridae. Some authors split this moth into two species: E. bistortata The Engrailed and E. crepuscularia Small Engrailed. It is distributed across most of Europe.

The ground colour of the wings is buff or grey variably marked with darker fascia. The darker markings are not usually as strong as in the rather similar Willow Beauty. Melanic forms occur fairly frequently. The wingspan is 38–45 mm. One or two broods are produced each year. In the British Isles the adults can be seen at any time between March and August; this time range may vary in other parts of this moth's range. The species flies at night and is attracted to light.

The greyish caterpillar is truly polyphagous, feeding on a huge range of plants (see list below). The species overwinters as a pupa.

Recorded food plants

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Caterpillar

• Acer, Maple^[1]
• Aconitum, Monkshood
• Alnus, Alder
• Aquilegia, Columbine
• Betula, Birch
• Calluna vulgaris, Heather
• Camellia japonica, Japanese Camellia
• Castanea, Chestnut
• Centaurea
• Cirsium arvense, Creeping Thistle
• Cornus, Dogwood
• Daphniphyllum
• Diervilla, Bush Honeysuckle
• Frangula, Alder Buckthorn
• Fraxinus, Ash
• Genista, Broom
• Glycine, Soybean
• Hypericum maculatum, Imperforate St. John's Wort
• Ilex, Holly
• Juglans, Walnut
• Larix, Larch
• Lindera, Spice Bush
• Lonicera, Honeysuckle
• Lythrum salicaria, Purple loosestrife
• Malus, Apple
• Philadelphus, Mock-orange
• Picea, Spruce
• Pieris
• Pinus, Pine
• Plectranthus
• Populus, Poplar
• Pseudotsuga, Douglas-fir^[2]
• Quercus, Oak
• Ribes rubrum, Redcurrant
• Rosa, Rose
• Rubus idaeus, Raspberry^[3]
• Rumex, Dock
• Salix, Willow
• Sambucus, Elder
• Shepherdia canadensis, Canada Buffaloberry
• Sorbus spp., rowans
• Spartina, Cordgrass
• Thuja
• Trifolium, Clover
• Tsuga, Hemlock
• Ulmus, Elm
• Vaccinium
• Zanthoxylum

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

Line notes

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ectropis crepuscularia

• The Engrailed at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera pages

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