091 Eulithis populata (Northern Spinach)

GEOMETRIDAE | Larentiinae | Cidariini

70.091 Eulithis populata (Northern Spinach)

fw: 13-18mm; Jul-Aug; bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus); common on moorland and heathland in SW&N England, Wales and Scotland

Eulithis populata (Northern Spinach) §1 male

ID: Colour varies from straw yellow to dark brown. E.testata (Chevron) is somewhat similar but it has a more angular median fascia, whitish frosting and a short diagonal white line at the forewing apex. Yellow examples may be similar to E.mellinata (Spinach) and E.pyraliata (Barred Straw) both of which have a characteristic resting posture with the wings held clear of the abdomen and also clear of the substrate. In both the median fascia is a similar colour to the ground colour while in E.populata it is darker. E.mellinata also has chequered fringes and a single-pointed projection of the distal edge of the cross-band.

Variation
Dissection
Male genitalia
Female genitalia

§1 Aberfoyle, Perthshire; 22/08/2008; male
§2 Kinlochleven, Argyll; 04/07/2011; male
§3 Nethybridge, inverness-shire; 12/07/2011; male
§4 Nethybridge, inverness-shire; 12/07/2011
§5 Fersit, Argyll; 28/07/2013; male; fw 17.8mm
§6 Fersit, Argyll; 28/07/2013; male
§7 Fersit, Argyll; 30/07/2013; male
§8 Removed (misidentification)
§9 Dalmunzie (Glenshee), Perthshire; 26/08/2016; male; fw 15.2mm
§10 Bampton Grange, Cumbria; 26/07/2019
§11 Eskadale, Inverness-shire; 25/06/2022; male
All images © Chris Lewis