David Element
Wildlife Photography and Digital Video Images
___________________________________________________________________Moths
111 – Willow Beauty Moths
WILLOW BEAUTY MOTH Peribatodes
rhomboidaria (m)
WILLOW BEAUTY MOTH Peribatodes
rhomboidaria (m)
WILLOW
BEAUTY MOTH Peribatodes rhomboidaria (m)
·
There are several similarly marked ‘Beauty’ moths
belonging to the large family Geometridae (Ennominae). The fresh example above, attracted to
artificial light at a site in London, has been identified as a Willow Beauty
Moth Peribatodes rhomboidaria after comparison with several
references, but it is acknowledged that moths with this overall shape and
cryptic markings, rendering them virtually impossible to see when at rest on
tree bark, are not always easy to separate, particularly if their markings are
faint or missing entirely. Some dark (melanistic) forms or worn specimens may
be impossible to tell apart in the field. In this case, the presence of overtly
feathered antennae that taper towards their tips (but only in the males) may be
the most concrete piece of evidence that this is a Willow Beauty. The large
surface area of the antennae enhances the capability of males to detect sex
pheromone molecules emitted by females. This web page, written by Trevor and
Dilys Pendleton, provides some useful tips about separating these beautifully
camouflaged moths: https://www.eakringbirds.com/eakringbirds4/beautymothidmottledandwillow.htm. The larvae
of this species can feed on a wide range of trees and shrubs.
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