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Acasis viretata

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Acasis viretata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Acasis
Species:
A. viretata
Binomial name
Acasis viretata
(Hübner, 1799)
Synonyms
  • Geometra viretata Hubner, 1799

Acasis viretata, the yellow-barred brindle, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1799. It is found across most of Europe and throughout the Palearctic to Korea. In northern India it is represented by Acacis viretata himalayica (Prout, 1958). It is also present in North America. This species occurs in many different habitats, including deciduous and mixed forests, rocky slopes and valleys, as well as bushy meadows, bogs and taiga areas. In the Alps, it can still be found at an altitude of 1700 meters.

The wingspan ranges from 25–29 mm.

Figs 4,4a,4b larvae after final moult 4c,4d a little magnified

The caterpillar is green, more or less tinged with pinkish; it has three interrupted pink lines on the back, the central one sometimes inclining to purple, and broken up into large wine-red to red heart-shaped spots; the head is brown, sometimes marked with purplish, and there are two tiny points on the last segment. It varies in the green tint and also in marking.

Adults are on wing from mid-April to October in two generations in western Europe.

The larvae feed on a wide variety of plants, including Rhamnus frangula, Hedera helix, Ligustrum, Ilex aquifolium, Cornus sanguinea and Sorbus aucuparia.

Similar species

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