Wormwood pug

Eupithecia absinthiata

The wormwood pug is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Carl Alexander Clerck in 1759. It is a common species across the Palearctic region as well as North America. The species flies at night in June and July and is attracted to light.
Wormwood Pug Moth larva (Eupithecia absinthiata) Watch the first few seconds of the video below and you may understand why it took me a while to realise what this alien-looking thing actually was?

It was truly fascinating to watch as it arched and looped its way around the hemp agrimony upon which I found it.

       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7M5zcUQD38   Eupithecia absinthiata,Geotagged,Summer,United Kingdom,Wormwood pug

Appearance

The wingspan is 21–23 mm and the forewings are warm brown with two black spots along the costa with a black discal spot completing a distinctive triangle. There is a pale narrow line near the fringe with a distinct whitish spot near the tornus, although this is not as prominent as in the rather similar currant pug. The hindwings are greyish brown.ab. ''obscura'' Dietze is much darker, the forewing described as sepia-coloured.

Adult larvae are smooth and elongated. They adapt to the basic colour of the respective food plant and are accordingly greenish, cream-colored or brownish colored and usually show a reddish-brown diamond-like pattern on the back. Sometimes light green, almost imarked specimens also appear.

The yellow-brown pupa is provided with greenish wing sheaths. At the cremaster there are eight hook bristles, the middle pair of which is strongly formed. ''Eupithecia absinthiata'' requires examination of a genital preparation for certain identification.

Naming

*''Eupithecia assimilata''.
⤷ ''Eupithecia expallidata''

Food

As the name suggests, the larva feeds on the flowers of mugwort, but it will also feed on the flowers of a range of other plants. The species overwinters as a pupa.

References:

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Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderLepidoptera
FamilyGeometridae
GenusEupithecia
SpeciesE. absinthiata
Photographed in
United Kingdom