71.016 Peridea anceps (Great Prominent)
fw: 23-32mm (W&T), ws: 52-72mm (MBGBI9); Apr-Jun; pedunculate/sessile oak (Quercus robur/petraea); local in England, Wales and S.Scotland
Peridea anceps (Great Prominent) §4 male
ID: Antenna bipectinate in male, ciliate in female; palps very short; eyes glabrous; forewing with dorsal sale tooth; V6-10 stalked. Large with a greenish tint and a central pale ring-shaped stigma between fairly distinct wavy black cross-lines, hindwing protrudes beneath forewing at rest. Similar appearance and resting posture to Stauropus fagi (Lobster Moth) which has a rusty-brown dorsal streak, no pale stigma and lacks any greenish tint. The extremely rare migrant Notodonta torva (Large Dark Prominent) has a similar colour and has the pale stigma but is smaller (fw 19-25mm) and plainer and has the hindwing concealed at rest.
§1 Minsmere, Suffolk; 10/05/2008
§2 New Forest, Hampshire; 03/06/2012; male; fw 30.4mm
§3 Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire; 06/05/2013; male
§4 Dartmoor, Devon; 06/04/2014; male
§5 Orlestone Forest, Kent; 18/05/2020; male; fw 27.0mm
All images © Chris Lewis
§2 New Forest, Hampshire; 03/06/2012; male; fw 30.4mm
§3 Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire; 06/05/2013; male
§4 Dartmoor, Devon; 06/04/2014; male
§5 Orlestone Forest, Kent; 18/05/2020; male; fw 27.0mm
All images © Chris Lewis
Page published 18/12/2014 (§1-4) | §5 added 16/01/2021
