Gtjkyu

Mottled beauty
Mounted female
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Clade:	Euarthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Geometridae
Genus:	Alcis
Species:	A. repandata
Binomial name
Alcis repandata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
Phalaena repandata Linnaeus, 1758 Alcis repandatus Boarmia repandata

The mottled beauty (Alcis repandata) is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is a common species of Europe and the Near East.

Alcis repandata f.conversaria Male

Larva

The wingspan is 32–40 mm. This is an extremely variable species, typically being buff or grey with black bars along the costa, but often with a broad blackish band across the forewings. Melanic forms are also common, especially in industrial areas. In all but the darkest variations the most characteristic feature is a pale "zig-zag" line across the hindwing. This moth flies at night in June and July^[1] and is attracted to light.

The larva feeds on the leaves and soft bark of a wide range of trees and other plants (see list below). The species overwinters as a small larva.

1. 
   ^ The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.
   

Recorded food plants

• 
  Alnus – alder
  


• 
  Betula – birch
  


• 
  Calluna – heather


• 
  Crataegus – hawthorn


• 
  Cytisus – broom


• 
  Filipendula – meadowsweet
  


• 
  Ligustrum – privet
  


• 
  Lonicera – honeysuckle
  


• 
  Quercus – oak
  


• Rhododendron


• 
  Ribes – currant


• 
  Rubus – bramble
  


• 
  Rumex – dock


• 
  Salix – willow
  


• 
  Sorbus – rowan
  


• 
  Tilia – lime


• Vaccinium

Subspecies

• A. r. muraria


• A. r. repandata


• A. r. sodorensium

References

• Chinery, Michael Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe 1986 (Reprinted 1991)


• Skinner, Bernard Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles 1984

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alcis repandata.

• Mottled beauty up UKmoths


• Lepiforum.de

This Boarmiini-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e