Hello, from Steve Garten and welcome to my weird and wonderful world of moths.

I’m amateur Lepidopterist, I trap and record moth species on my six acre wildlife meadow at Tibenham Norfolk, UK.

The list of moths listed in this Macro-moths blog and the Micro Moths blog are the species I have recorded since 2015.

Garden Carpet-Xanthorhoe fluctuata

Garden Carpet-Xanthorhoe fluctuata

The moth is from the family Geometridae subfamily: Larentiinae

It is a medium-sized moth with a wingspan of 27–31 mm.

The wings are greyish-white with three irregular black blotches along the costa of the forewing, the largest in the middle. Occasionally, much darker (melanic) forms occur. "Easy to recognize, in spite of its variability. In the typical form, the ground colour is dirty and whitish, and the median band is almost or altogether obsolete in its posterior half.

This moth shows a preference for suburban habitats but can be found almost anywhere

It is continuously brooding during the summer months from April through to September, and adults and larvae could be found in any of these months.

The Larva feeds on various Cruciferae, including Garlic Mustard, Shepherd's-purse, Hairy Bitter-cress, and Cabbage, it overwinters as a pupa.

The UK Status for this species was classified as common.

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