Eupithecia

Eupithecia
Eupithecia innotata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Tribe: Eupitheciini
Genus: Eupithecia
Curtis, 1825[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Arcyonia Hübner, 1825
  • Bohatschia Schütze, 1960
  • Catarina Vojnits & De Laever, 1973
  • Delaeveria Schütze, 1961
  • Dietzea Schütze, 1956
  • Dochephora Warren, 1895
  • Dolichopyge Warren, 1900
  • Dyscymatoge Hübner, 1825
  • Epicaste Gumppenberg, 1887
  • Eucymatoge Hübner, [1825]
  • Euphitecia Carnelutti & Michieli, 1958
  • Eurypeplodes Warren, 1893
  • Heteropithecia Vojnits, 1985
  • Hypepirritis Hübner, [1825]
  • Lamelluncia Mironov, 1990
  • Lepiodes Guenée, 1858
  • Leucocora Hübner, 1825
  • Mnesiloba Warren, 1901
  • Neopithecia Vojnits, 1985
  • Pena Walker, 1863
  • Petersenia Schütze, 1958
  • Phaulostathma Warren, 1900
  • Propithecia Vojnits, 1985
  • Sebastia Warren, 1895 (preocc. Kirby, 1892)
  • Stenopla Warren, 1900
  • Tarachia Hübner, 1825
  • Tephroclystia Hübner, 1825[1]
  • Tephroclystis Meyrick, 1892
  • Thysanoctena Warren, 1904
  • Trichoclystis Warren, 1904
  • Zygmena Boie, 1839

Eupithecia is the largest genus of moths of the family Geometridae,[3] and the namesake and type genus of tribe Eupitheciini. Species in the genus are, like those of other genera in the tribe, commonly known as pugs.[4] The genus is highly speciose, with over 1400 species, and members of the genus are present in most of the world with exception of Australasia.[3] Roughly a quarter of described Eupithecia species occur in the Neotropical realm, where they have an especially high species diversity in the montane rain forests of the Andes.[5] The genus includes a few agricultural pest species, such as the currant pug moth, Eupithecia assimilata, which is a pest on hops,[6] and the cloaked pug moth, Eupithecia abietaria, which is a cone pest in spruce seed orchards.[7]

Adult specimens of Eupithecia are typically small, often between 12 and 35 mm, with muted colours, and display a large amount of uniformity between species.[3] As a result, identification of a specimen as part of genus Eupithecia is generally easy, but identifying the exact species is difficult and often reliant on examination of the dissected genitals.[3] Most species share a characteristic resting pose in which the forewings are held flat at a right angle to the body—that is, the costal margins of both forewings form a more-or-less horizontal line—while the hindwings are largely covered by the forewings.[8] They are generally nocturnal.[3]

Pug Moth caterpillar Eupithecia sp.

Of the species where the larval behaviour is known, most feed from the flowers and seeds of their food plants rather than the foliage.[3] Many species have a very specific food plant. The larvae of all but one[9] of the endemic species of Eupithecia from Hawaii are ambush predators of a wide variety of insects and spiders.[10] These ambush predators have raptorial legs, with which they grab prey that comes into contact with their hind end.[10]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Mironov-2003 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference funet was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c d e f Cite error: The named reference Mironov-Galsworthy-2013 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Plant-2014 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Vargas-2021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Campbell-2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Wang-2014 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference BugGuide was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Hembry-2021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Montgomery-1983 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).