70.169 Eupithecia innotata (Angle-barred Pug)
fw: 10-12mm; bivoltine May-Jun, Aug; ash (Fraxinus excelsior), sea-buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides), tamarisk (Tamarix), hawthorn (Crataegus spp), blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), elder (Sambucus nigra); common throughout GB.
Note that forms fraxinata (Ash Pug) with larvae on ash, and tamarisciata (Tamarisk Pug) with larvae on tamarisk, are otherwise indistinguishable; they have previously been regarded as separate species. The European checklist still lists E.fraxinata separately. Some authorities consider that that E.innotata should refer only to the larger continental form which has never occurred in Britain – then all British specimens would be E.fraxinata!
Note that forms fraxinata (Ash Pug) with larvae on ash, and tamarisciata (Tamarisk Pug) with larvae on tamarisk, are otherwise indistinguishable; they have previously been regarded as separate species. The European checklist still lists E.fraxinata separately. Some authorities consider that that E.innotata should refer only to the larger continental form which has never occurred in Britain – then all British specimens would be E.fraxinata!
ID: Plain brown or grey-brown; small black elongate central spot; cross-line distal to central spot sharply angled near costa; subterminal whitish line, more prominent at tornus. The brown melanic form unicolor, is said by Waring to be distinguishable from other melanics by wing shape.
§1 Cyffdy Farm, Gwynedd; 22/06/2010; female; fw 10.3mm
§2 Cyffdy Farm, Gwynedd; 22/06/2010; male; fw 11.1mm
§3 Buttermere, Cumbria; 29/06/2014 (not confirmed by genital dissection)
§4 Dungeness, Kent; 26/07/2017; male; fw 10.2mm
§5 Kishorn, Ross & Cromarty; 21/06/2022; female; fw 12.0mm
All images © Chris Lewis
§2 Cyffdy Farm, Gwynedd; 22/06/2010; male; fw 11.1mm
§3 Buttermere, Cumbria; 29/06/2014 (not confirmed by genital dissection)
§4 Dungeness, Kent; 26/07/2017; male; fw 10.2mm
§5 Kishorn, Ross & Cromarty; 21/06/2022; female; fw 12.0mm
All images © Chris Lewis
Page published 25/11/2013 (§1&2) | §3 added 30/01/2015 | §4 added 14/04/2018 | §5 added 15/10/2022