Appearance
The ground colour of the wings is buff or grey variably marked with darker fascia and a pale postdiscal crossline. The darker markings are not usually as strong as in the rather similar Willow Beauty. Melanic forms occur fairly frequently. The wingspan is 38–45 mm. One or two broods are produced each year. In the British Isles the adults can be seen at any time between March and August; this time range may vary in other parts of this moth's range. The species flies at night and is attracted to light.
Naming
There is a debate as to whether they make up one species, or whether "E. crepuscularia" actually refers only to the Small Engrailed, with the Engrailed proper being separable as "E. bistortata".
Food
The greyish caterpillar is truly polyphagous, feeding on a huge range of plants. The species overwinters as a pupa.⤷ "Acer", Maple
⤷ "Aconitum", Monkshood
⤷ "Alnus", Alder
⤷ "Aquilegia", Columbine
⤷ "Betula", Birch
⤷ "Calluna vulgaris", Heather
⤷ "Camellia japonica", Japanese Camellia
⤷ "Castanea", Chestnut
⤷ "Centaurea"
⤷ "Cirsium arvense", Creeping Thistle
⤷ "Cornus", Dogwood
⤷ "Daphniphyllum"
⤷ "Diervilla", Bush Honeysuckle
⤷ "Frangula", Alder Buckthorn
⤷ "Fraxinus", Ash
⤷ "Genista", Broom
⤷ "Glycine", Soybean
⤷ "Hypericum maculatum", Imperforate St. John's Wort
⤷ "Ilex", Holly
⤷ "Juglans", Walnut
⤷ "Larix", Larch
⤷ "Lindera", Spice Bush
⤷ "Lonicera", Honeysuckle
⤷ "Lythrum salicaria", Purple loosestrife
⤷ "Malus", Apple
⤷ "Philadelphus", Mock-orange
⤷ "Picea", Spruce
⤷ "Pieris"
⤷ "Pinus", Pine
⤷ "Plectranthus"
⤷ "Populus", Poplar
⤷ "Pseudotsuga", Douglas-fir
⤷ "Quercus", Oak
⤷ "Ribes rubrum", Redcurrant
⤷ "Rosa", Rose
⤷ "Rubus idaeus", Raspberry
⤷ "Rumex", Dock
⤷ "Salix", Willow
⤷ "Sambucus", Elder
⤷ "Shepherdia canadensis", Canada Buffaloberry
⤷ "Sorbus" spp., rowans
⤷ "Spartina", Cordgrass
⤷ "Thuja"
⤷ "Trifolium", Clover
⤷ "Tsuga", Hemlock
⤷ "Ulmus", Elm
⤷ "Vaccinium"
⤷ "Zanthoxylum"
References:
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