Moth of Cyprus : Geometridae Family

Agriopis bajaria Geometridae
Aplasta ononaria Geometridae
Aplocera plagiata Geometridae
Apochima flabellaria Geometridae
Ascotis selenaria Geometridae
Aspitates ochrearia Geometridae
Camptogramma bilineata Geometridae
Casilda consecraria Geometridae
Catarhoe hortulanaria Geometridae
Catarhoe permixtaria Geometridae
Charissa subtaurica Geometridae
Chesias rhegmatica Geometridae
Chiasmia aestimaria Geometridae
Chiasmia syriacaria Geometridae
Coenotephria ablutaria Geometridae
Colotois pennaria Geometridae
Crocallis cypriaca Geometridae
Culpinia prouti Geometridae
Cyclophora puppillaria Geometridae
Dasycorsa modesta Geometridae
Dyscia innocentaria Geometridae
Dyscia simplicaria Geometridae
Ennomos lissochila Geometridae
Epirrhoe galiata Geometridae
Eumannia arenbergeri Geometridae
Eumannia arenbergi Geometridae
Eumera mulier Geometridae
Eupithecia breviculata Geometridae
Eupithecia centaureata Geometridae
Eupithecia cerussaria Geometridae
Eupithecia dubiosa Geometridae
Eupithecia ericeata Geometridae
Eupithecia marginata Geometridae
Eupithecia quercetica Geometridae
Eupithecia reisserata Geometridae
Gnopharmia stevenaria Geometridae
Gnophos sartata Geometridae
Gymnoscelis rufifasciata Geometridae
Hypomecis punctinalis Geometridae
Idaea albitorquata Geometridae
Idaea camparia Geometridae
Idaea completa Geometridae
Idaea consanguinaria Geometridae
Idaea consolidata Geometridae
Idaea degeneraria Geometridae
Idaea dimidiata Geometridae
Idaea distinctaria Geometridae
Idaea elongaria Geometridae
Idaea filicata Geometridae
Idaea inclinata Geometridae
Idaea inquinata Geometridae
Idaea intermedia Geometridae
Idaea mimosaria Geometridae
Idaea obsoletaria Geometridae
Idaea ochrata Geometridae
Idaea ostrinaria Geometridae
Idaea palaestinensis Geometridae
Idaea peluraria Geometridae
Idaea politaria Geometridae
Idaea seriata Geometridae
Idaea subsericeata Geometridae
Idaea textaria Geometridae
Idaea tineata Geometridae
Idaea trigeminata Geometridae
Idaea troglodytaria Geometridae
Isturgia berytaria Geometridae
Larentia clavaria Geometridae
Lithostege palaestinensis Geometridae
Mattia adlata Geometridae
Menophra berenicidaria Geometridae
Microloxia herbaria Geometridae
Nebula achromaria Geometridae
Nebula schneideraria Geometridae
Neognopharmia stevenaria Geometridae
Nychiodes aphrodite Geometridae
Nycterosea obstipata Geometridae
Orthostixis cinerea Geometridae
Oulobophora externaria Geometridae
Pareulype lasithiotica Geometridae
Peribatodes correptaria Geometridae
Peribatodes rhomboidaria Geometridae
Peribatodes umbraria Geometridae
Perizoma bifaciata Geometridae
Phaiogramma etruscaria Geometridae
Phaiogramma faustinata Geometridae
Problepsis ocellata Geometridae
Proteuchloris neriaria Geometridae
Protorhoe corollaria Geometridae
Protorhoe unicata Geometridae
Pseudoterpna coronillaria Geometridae
Pseudoterpna rectistrigaria Geometridae
Rhodometra sacraria Geometridae
Rhodostrophia tabidaria Geometridae
Rhoptria asperaria Geometridae
Scopula decolor Geometridae
Scopula flaccidaria Geometridae
Scopula imitaria Geometridae
Scopula luridata Geometridae
Scopula marginepunctata Geometridae
Scopula minorata Geometridae
Scopula ornata Geometridae
Scopula sacraria Geometridae
Scopula submutata Geometridae
Scopula turbulentaria Geometridae
Scopula uberaria Geometridae
Scopula vigilata Geometridae
Selidosema tamsi Geometridae
Xanthorhoe fluctuata Geometridae
Xanthorhoe inconsiderata Geometridae
Xanthorhoe oxybiata Geometridae
Xenochlorodes olympiaria Geometridae


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The geometer moths are moths belonging to the family Geometridae of the insect order Lepidoptera, the moths and butterflies. Their scientific name derives from the Ancient Greek geo γεω (derivative form of γῆ or γαῖα "the earth"), and metron μέτρον "measure" in reference to the way their larvae, or inchworms, appear to measure the earth as they move along in a looping fashion.[1] Geometridae is a very large family, containing around 23,000 described species;[2][3] over 1400 species from six subfamilies are indigenous to North America alone.[1] A well-known member is the peppered moth, Biston betularia, which has been the subject of numerous studies in population genetics. Several other geometer moths are notorious pests.

Caterpillars[edit]

The name "Geometridae" ultimately derives from Latin geometra from Greek γεωμέτρης ("geometer", "earth-measurer"). This refers to the means of locomotion of the larvae or caterpillars, which lack the full complement of prolegs seen in other caterpillars, with only two or three pairs at the posterior end instead of the usual five pairs. Equipped with appendages at both ends of the body, a caterpillar clasps with its front legs and draws up the hind end, then clasps with the hind end (prolegs) and reaches out for a new front attachment, creating the impression that it measures its journey. The caterpillars are accordingly called "loopers", "spanworms", or "inchworms" after their characteristic looping gait. The cabbage looper and soybean looper are not inchworms but caterpillars of a different family. In many species of geometer moths, the inchworms are about 25 mm (1.0 in) long. They tend to be green, grey, or brownish and hide from predators by fading into the background or resembling twigs. When disturbed, many inchworms stand erect and motionless on their prolegs, further increasing this resemblance. Some have humps or filaments, or cover themselves in plant material. They are gregarious and are generally smooth. Some eat lichen, flowers, or pollen, while some, such as the Hawaiian species of the genus Eupithecia, are carnivorous. Certain destructive inchworm species are referred to as "cankerworms".[citation needed]

In 2019, the first geometrid caterpillar in Baltic amber was discovered by German scientists. Described under Eogeometer vadens, it measured about 5 mm (0.20 in) and was estimated to be 44 million years old, dating back to the Eocene epoch. It was described as the earliest evidence for the subfamily of Ennominae, particularly the tribe Boarmiini.[4]

Adults[edit]

Many geometrids have slender abdomens and broad wings which are usually held flat with the hindwings visible. As such, they appear rather butterfly-like, but in most respects they are typical moths. The majority fly at night. They possess a frenulum to link the wings, and the antennae of the males are often feathered. They tend to blend into the background, often with intricate, wavy patterns on their wings. In some species, females have reduced wings (e.g. winter moth and fall cankerworm).[1] Most are of moderate size, about 3 cm (1.2 in) in wingspan, but a range of sizes occur, from 10–50 mm (0.39–1.97 in), and a few (e.g., Dysphania species) reach an even larger size. They have distinctive paired tympanal organs at the base of the abdomen (these are absent in flightless females).[citation needed]

Systematics[edit]

Main article: List of geometrid genera

The placement of the example species follows a 1990 systematic treatment; it may be outdated. Subfamilies are tentatively sorted in a phylogenetic sequence, from the most basal to the most advanced. Traditionally, the Archiearinae were held to be the most ancient of the geometer moth lineages, as their caterpillars have well-developed prolegs. However, it now seems that the Larentiinae are actually older, as indicated by their numerous plesiomorphies and DNA sequence data. They are either an extremely basal lineage of the Geometridae – together with the Sterrhinae – or might even be considered a separate family of Geometroidea. As regards the Archiearinae, some species that were traditionally placed therein actually seem to belong to other subfamilies; altogether it seems that in a few cases, the prolegs which were originally lost in the ancestral geometer moths re-evolved as an atavism.[5][6]

Larentiinae – about 5,800 species, includes the pug moths, mostly temperate, might be a distinct family.[5][6]

Sterrhinae – about 2,800 species, mostly tropical, might belong to same family as the Larentiinae.[5]