Eulithis populata

The species name populata derives from the Latin word populus, meaning poplar, as a food plant for the caterpillar. [http://www.lepiforum.de/lepiwiki.pl?Eulithis_Populata Lepiforum.de] {{ in lang|de}}

Eulithis populata is a Holarctic species found in North America, Europe, the Caucasus, Transcaucasia, the Urals, Siberia, Russian Far East, and North Mongolia.[https://fauna-eu.org/cdm_dataportal/taxon/509f3b3a-a871-498d-a7d7-56bf51b0b410 Fauna europaea] These moths usually inhabits blueberry and mixed forests, peat moorland, wetlands and grassland. The altitude distribution reaches up to 2500 meters in the Alps and up to 2300 meters in the Pyrenees. Axel Hausmann & Jaan Vidalepp: The Geometrid Moths of Europe Volume 3 Subfamily Larentiinae I, Apollo Books, Aamosen, 2012, ISBN 978-87-88757-39-2, S. 267/268

File: Eulithis populata03.jpg

The wingspan is 25–32 mm. [https://ukmoths.org.uk/species/eulithis-populata/adult-3/ UK Moths] The ground colour of the forewings is yellow (varying in ground colour from a straw yellow to orange-brown or dark brown). There is a brown central band and a brown basal patch. There is a W shaped projection on the cross band.

Adult caterpillars are extraordinarily variable in colour and have a whitish, yellowish, greenish, brownish, blackish or reddish colour. They are most likely to be recognized by the dark dorsal line located on the front segments, also the dark wedge spots on the posterior segments as well as the distinct annular brown thickening of the second body segment.

These moths are rather similar to Eulithis mellinata and Eulithis pyraliata.[https://britishlepidoptera.weebly.com/091-eulithis-populata-northern-spinach.html British lepidoptera]

Eulithis populata is a univoltine species. The species overwinters in the egg stage. The flight period is June to September, in the mountains also until October.[https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/333913-Eulithis-populata iNaturalist]

These moths are mostly twilight and nocturnal moths, but occasionally they can also be found during the day. In their typical resting position of the adults, the end of the abdomen is bent slightly upwards.

The larvae usually feed on the leaves of blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus). Alternative food plants are Vaccinium uliginosum, Ribes rubrum, Salix , Betula and Populus tremula. Usually adults can be found in large numbers by sucking on the flowers of Molinia caerulea, Holcus, Juncus conglomeratus and Juncus effusus. Paolo Mazzei, Daniel Morel, Raniero Panfili [https://www.leps.it/indexjs.htm?SpeciesPages/EulitPopul.htm Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa] Günter Ebert (Hrsg.): Die Schmetterlinge Baden-Württembergs. 1. Auflage. Band 8. Nachtfalter VI. Geometridae 1 Ulmer, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-8001-3497-7, S. 333–335{{ in lang|de}}

File: Geometridae - Eulithis populata-001.JPG|Side view

File: Eulithis.populata.jpg|In flight

File: Eulithis populata SLU.JPG|Mounted specimen

File: Buckler W The larvæ of the British butterflies and moths PlateCXLIV.jpg|Larvae after final moult

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Category:Cidariini

Category:Moths of Europe

Category:Moths described in 1758

Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus

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