Cream wave


The cream wave is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Adrian Hardy Haworth in 1809. It is found in forest and woodland regions, feeding on grasses and small plants such as dandelion.

Distribution

It is a very common species in western Europe. It extends east across the Palearctic from the Urals to the Russian Far East to Korea, north-eastern China and Japan.

Description

Scopula floslactata has a wingspan of about three centimetres. Colour and pattern are variable. The wings are creamy white to yellowish white. Across the forewings and hindwings, there are usually three jagged crosslines. Occasionally, there is a wavy line in the marginal field. The discal flecks are small and are often missing on the forewings, or very much blurred. In contrast, the discal flecks on the hindwings are almost always present. The fringes are sometimes also slightly darker than the ground colour. The males have small, feathered antennae.
It is similar to Scopula immutata, but distinguished by its less rounded forewings and less developed or absent black discal spot.

Biology

It has one generation per year, with adults taking flight from late May through early July.
The larvae feed on woodruff, dandelion, bilberry, Lonicera xylosteum, Alnus glutinosa, Galium verum, Rumex acetosa, and Vicia sepium. They also eat dry leaves of poplars and willow.

Subspecies