| Rheumaptera undulata | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Geometridae |
| Genus: | Rheumaptera |
| Species: | R. undulata |
| Binomial name | |
| Rheumaptera undulata | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Rheumaptera undulata, thescallop shell, is amoth of the familyGeometridae. It wasfirst described byCarl Linnaeus in his 175810th edition ofSystema Naturae. It is found in most of thePalearctic realm and North America.[1][2][3]
Thewingspan is 25–30 mm.The ground colour of the forewings is pale. The crosslines are darker, wavy, evenly spaced and numerous. The outer margin is pale brown with a scalloped fringe. The hindwings resemble the forewings but are paler. The larva is relatively powerful, naked except for some short white bristles. The dorsum is light to dark grey, with narrow white longitudinal stripes. The venter is pale.[4]
There is one generation per year with adults on wing from the end of May to August in Europe.The main habitat is light quarry and floodplain forests, bushy forest edges as well as gardens and park landscapes. In the Alps, the species rises to heights of 1500 metres.Thelarvae feed on birch (includingBetula verrucosa andB. pubescens),Vaccinium (includingV. myrtillus andV. uliginosum) and willow species (includingSalix myrtilloides,S. caprea,S. aurita,S. cinerea,S. myrsinifolia andS. phylicifolia), as well as aspen (Populus tremula),Populus balsamifera,Berberis vulgaris,Ribes alpinum,Spiraea salicifolia, rowan (Sorbus aucuparia),Elaeagnus commutata andMyrica gale. Larvae can be found in August and September. It overwinters as a pupa.
Media related toRheumaptera undulata at Wikimedia Commons