Lythria purpuraria

Lythria purpuraria, the purple-barred yellow, is a species of moth of the family Geometridae. It is found from western Europe to Siberia, Russia, Ukraine, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan.

Lythria purpuraria
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Geometridae
Genus:
Lythria
Species:
L. purpuraria
Binomial name
Lythria purpuraria
(Linnaeus, 1758)

L. purpuraria generally have two red-purple transverse lines in their green-yellow forewings. They are often confused with L. cruentaria, a sister species in the same family. This is because they are both available in a variety of sizes with multiple wing patterns.[1] L. purpuraria and the other four species within the Lythria family have a very difficult genitalia structure, which is complicated to analyze and study.[2]

Adults are on wing from April to June and again from July to September. It is a day-flying species. There are two generations per year.

The larvae feed on prostrate knotweed, also known as Polygonum aviculare.[3]

References
  1. Õunap, Erki & Mironov, Vladimir & Viidalepp, Jaan. (2009). Molecular phylogeny of the genus Lythria and description of the male genitalia of L. venustata (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Sterrhinae). European Journal of Entomology, 106, 643-650.
  2. Õunap, E., Viidalepp, J., & Saarma, U. (2008). Systematic position of Lythriini revised: transferred from Larentiinae to Sterrhinae (Lepidoptera, Geometridae). Zoologica Scripta, 37(4), 405–413.
  3. UKmoths
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