Essex emerald | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Geometridae |
Subfamily: | Geometrinae |
Tribe: | Comibaenini |
Genus: | Thetidia |
Species: | T. smaragdaria
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Binomial name | |
Thetidia smaragdaria (
Fabricius, 1787)
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Synonyms | |
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The Essex emerald (Thetidia smaragdaria) is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1787 as Phalaena smaragdaria. [1] It is distributed throughout the Palearctic region with records from many European countries. The British subspecies Thetidia smaragdaria maritima was last seen in 1991 in Kent and is now presumed extinct. [2] In 2004 the moth was first recorded from Sweden.
The wingspan is 27–35 mm. There is one generation per year with adults on wing from mid-June to mid-July.
The larvae feed on Artemisia maritima and Achillea millefolium. Larvae can be found from July to June the following year. It overwinters in the larval stage.