Page 498 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Geometridae
DISTRIBUTION Europe and across Asia to China and Japan
HABITAT Woodlands, scrub, heathlands, and wet woodlands near streams
HOST PLANTS Mostly birch (Betula spp.), but also Alder (Alnus glutinosa), beech
(Fagus spp.), and hazel (Corylus avellana)
NOTE Green looper caterpillar that is found on a variety of food plants
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated

ADULT WINGSPAN
2–2 ⁄ in (50–65 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH

1 ⁄ –1⅜ in (30–35 mm)
GEOMETRA PAPILIONARIA
LARGE EMERALD
496
LINNAEUS, 1758

Large Emerald caterpillars hatch from eggs laid in late summer.

The young larvae are green at rst but soon become pale brown
with warts, giving them a twiglike appearance. This provides

much better camou age for when they overwinter on dormant
trees. The caterpillars are active again in spring, when they
become greener in color once more to blend in with the new
spring growth of leaves. When fully developed, the larvae move
to the ground to pupate in a cocoon among the leaf litter.

The caterpillar is a so-called “looper,” moving along branches
by drawing its rear end up to the thorax, extending the head
and thorax forward until it lies flat, and then repeating the

movement. The large, night- ying moth adult is butter y-like
with bright green wings that fade with age. The species occurs
in a wide range of habitats, as the caterpillar feeds on many
di erent plants, although its preference is for birch.

The Large Emerald caterpillar is green
with a long and slender body. It has a lateral
creamy-yellow line, which ends in a terminal
segment that is reddish brown in color. There
are large posterior claspers, and the head is Actual size
white with brown markings. Some forms can
also be predominantly brown.