| Insecta : Lepidoptera : Geometridae | Butterflies and Moths |
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| Eupithecia lariciata |
Description: Wingspan 19-22 mm. Forewings whitish grey with darker crosslines and a sharply angulated median line. There is also a series of small darker patches on the costal margin and visible white crest on the thorax. The hindwings are similar in colour with a small dark spot in the tornal area. Early May to late August. Skinner gives May and June as the normal flight period in Britain.
World Distribution: Eurasiatic; widespread across northern and central Europe to central Asia.
Irish Distribution: This species is recorded primarily from larch plantations and has a sporadic distribution across southern counties. It is likely to be more widespread than present records indicate especially in the west.
Ecology: A woodland species found in well established conifer plantations. Adults are attracted to light and appear in small numbers. Individuals can occasionally be found during the day by beating the lower branches of the foodplant. The larvae feed from the end of June until the beginning of August on Larch Larix decidua.
Key Identification Features:
Distribution Map from NBN: Eupithecia lariciata at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.
iNaturalist: Eupithecia lariciata at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.
| Thompson, R. & Nelson, B. (2023). Eupithecia lariciata. (Freyer, 1842). [In] Moths of Northern Ireland. https://habitas.org/moths/species.php?item=5944. Accessed on 2026-11-02. |