Abraxas grossulariata

Magpie moth
In Oxford, England
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Abraxas
Species:
A. grossulariata
Binomial name
Abraxas grossulariata
Synonyms
  • Abraxas karafutonis Matsumura, 1925
  • Abraxas grossulariatus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Abraxas grossulariata is a moth of the family Geometridae, native to the Palearctic realm and North America. Its distinctive speckled coloration has given it a common name of magpie moth. The caterpillar is similarly coloured to the adult, and may be found feeding on the leaves of shrubs such as gooseberry and blackcurrant. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.