Wormwood Pug
Encyclopedia
The Wormwood Pug is a moth
of the family Geometridae
. It is a common species across the Palearctic
region and the Near East
, as well as North America
.
The wingspan
is 21–23 mm and the forewings are warm brown with two black spots along the costa
with a black discal spot completing a distinctive triangle. There is a narrow pale line near the fringe with a distinct whitish spot near the tornus
, although this is not as prominent as in the rather similar Currant Pug
. The hindwings are greyish brown. The species flies at night in June and July and is attracted to light.
As the name suggests, the larva
feeds on the flower
s of mugwort (which is sometimes called "Common Wormwood") but will also feed on the flowers of a range of other plants (see list below). The species overwinters as a pupa
.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the family Geometridae
Geometer moth
The geometer moths or Geometridae are a family of the order Lepidoptera...
. It is a common species across the Palearctic
Palearctic
The Palearctic or Palaearctic is one of the eight ecozones dividing the Earth's surface.Physically, the Palearctic is the largest ecozone...
region and the Near East
Near East
The Near East is a geographical term that covers different countries for geographers, archeologists, and historians, on the one hand, and for political scientists, economists, and journalists, on the other...
, as well as North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 21–23 mm and the forewings are warm brown with two black spots along the costa
Glossary of Lepidopteran terms
This glossary describes the terms used in the formal descriptions of insect species, jargon used mostly by professionals or entomologist....
with a black discal spot completing a distinctive triangle. There is a narrow pale line near the fringe with a distinct whitish spot near the tornus
Glossary of Lepidopteran terms
This glossary describes the terms used in the formal descriptions of insect species, jargon used mostly by professionals or entomologist....
, although this is not as prominent as in the rather similar Currant Pug
Currant Pug
The Currant Pug is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found across the Nearctic and Palearctic regions and the Near East....
. The hindwings are greyish brown. The species flies at night in June and July and is attracted to light.
As the name suggests, the larva
Larva
A larva 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...
feeds on the flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s of mugwort (which is sometimes called "Common Wormwood") but will also feed on the flowers of a range of other plants (see list below). The species overwinters as a pupa
Pupa
A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo, larva, pupa and imago...
.
Recorded food plants
- AchilleaAchilleaAchillea is a genus of about 85 flowering plants, in the family Asteraceae, commonly referred to as yarrow. They occur in Europe and temperate areas of Asia. A few grow in North America. These plants typically have frilly, hairy, aromatic leaves....
- AconitumAconitumAconitum , known as aconite, monkshood, wolfsbane, leopard's bane, women's bane, Devil's helmet or blue rocket, is a genus of over 250 species of flowering plants belonging to the buttercup family .-Overview:These herbaceous perennial plants are chiefly natives of the mountainous parts of the...
- ArtemisiaArtemisia (plant)Artemisia is a large, diverse genus of plants with between 200 to 400 species belonging to the daisy family Asteraceae. It comprises hardy herbs and shrubs known for their volatile oils. They grow in temperate climates of the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere, usually in dry or semi-dry...
- Aster
- CallunaCallunaCalluna vulgaris is the sole species in the genus Calluna in the family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing perennial shrub growing to tall, or rarely to and taller, and is found widely in Europe and Asia Minor on acidic soils in open sunny situations and in moderate shade...
- Heather - Cirsium - Creeping ThistleCirsium arvenseCirsium arvense is a species of Cirsium, native throughout Europe and northern Asia, and widely introduced elsewhere. The standard English name in its native area is Creeping Thistle.-Alternate names:...
- EricaEricaErica ,the heaths or heathers, is a genus of approximately 860 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae. The English common names "heath" and "heather" are shared by some closely related genera of similar appearance....
- EupatoriumEupatoriumEupatorium is a genus of flowering plants in the aster family, Asteraceae, containing from 36 to 60 species depending on the classification system. Most are herbaceous perennial plants growing to 0.5–3 m tall. A few are shrubs. The genus is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere....
- PimpinellaPimpinellaPimpinella is a plant genus in the family Apiaceae; it includes the aromatic herb Anise.-Species:*Pimpinella acuminata*Pimpinella affinis*Pimpinella anisetum*Pimpinella anthriscoides*Pimpinella aromatica*Pimpinella aurea...
- Burnet-saxifrage - SenecioSenecioSenecio is a genus of the daisy family that includes ragworts and groundsels. The flower heads are normally rayed, completely yellow, and the heads are borne in branched clusters...
- Solidago - GoldenrodGoldenrodSolidago, commonly called goldenrods, is a genus of about 100 species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Most are herbaceous perennial species found in the meadows and pastures, along roads, ditches and waste areas in North America. There are also a few species native to Mexico, South...
- TanacetumTanacetumTanacetum is a genus of about 160 species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to many regions of the Northern Hemisphere.Common names include Tansy , Costmary , and Feverfew ; several other species are also known as tansies.Tanacetum species...
- Tripleurospermum - MayweedMayweedMatricaria is a genus of flowering plants in the sunflower family . Some of the species have the common name of "mayweed," but this name also refers to plants not in this genus....