Eulithis populata
Eulithis populata, the northern spinach, is a moth of the genus Eulithis in the family Geometridae.
| Northern spinach | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Geometridae |
| Genus: | Eulithis |
| Species: | E. populata |
| Binomial name | |
| Eulithis populata (Linnaeus, 1758) | |
Distribution
A Holarctic species found in North America, Europe, the Caucasus, Transcaucasia, the Urals, Siberia, Russian Far East, and North Mongolia.
Description
The wingspan is 33–40 mm. The ground colour of the forewings is yellow (varying in ground colour from a straw yellow to orange-brown or dark brown). There is a brown central band and a brown basal patch. Adults rest with the abdomen curled up. There is a W shaped projection on the cross band. Adult caterpillars are extraordinarily variable in colour and have a whitish, yellowish, greenish, brownish, blackish or reddish colour. They are most likely to be recognized by the dark dorsal line located on the front segments, also the dark wedge spots on the posterior segments as well as the distinct annular brown thickening of the second body segment.
The flight period is June to September.
