70.257 BF1936 - Waved Umber - Geometridae - Menophra abruptaria

70.257 BF1936 - Geometridae - Ennominae - Menophra abruptaria - Waved Umber

Adult Macro: CAT 1 - Distinctive species unlikely to be confused with others -

- click for Adult Macro Verification Guidelines

- Rare / Uncommon / Scarce

Taxonomy: Macro >> . >> Geometridae

ID Difficulty: green

- easy to identify, generally distinctive and unlikely to be confused with other species.

ID pointers: This moth rests with wings lying flat to the surface so that the intricate patterning of creams and brown umber blotches, cross-bands and wavy cross-lines, act as an almost perfect camouflage. The fringes to the wings are scalloped and also wavy which, along with the umber brown patterning, is where the moth gets its name.

Distribution: A resident species in Derbyshire but seems to be uncommon and thinly distributed, being confined mainly to the lowlands in the south and also the southern tip of the Coal Measures and the Magnesium Limestone areas of the county. A melanic form does occur. On 12th August 2024 an individual of the rare mellanic form fuscata was recorded from a garden moth trap in Chaddesden, Derby.

Flight Period: April / May / June / - On the wing April – June

Moth Activity: Nocturnal - and is attracted to light

*** Last updated on 11 March 2025 by RP ***

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Wingspan: 36-42mm
Forewing: 18-21mm

Food Plant: Garden Privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium) and Lilac (Syringa vulgaris).

Last Recorded By - Not Recorded

Last Recorded General Area - Not Recorded

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