Page 503 - 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 Scrub, waste ground, verges, and gardens
HOST PLANTS Orache (Atriplex spp.) and goosefoot (Chenopodium spp.)

NOTE Odd-looking caterpillar that has perfect camou age
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated, but locally rare

ADULT WINGSPAN
1–1 ⁄ in (25–30 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
¾ in (20 mm)
PELURGA COMITATA
DARK SPINACH 501

(LINNAEUS, 1758)

Dark Spinach caterpillars hatch from clusters of small, creamy-
colored eggs laid on the leaves of the host plants. The larvae are
active in August and September, feeding on their weedy orache
and goosefoot host plants, preferring owers and seeds to the

leaves. The caterpillars move along branches in the looping style
typical of the family. The species overwinters underground as Actual size
a pupa, which is red brown in color. The adult moths are on the
wing in July and August, and there is a single generation.

The moths favor weedy ground, such as derelict land, verges,
and gardens. However, numbers of this species have fallen
steeply in recent decades as the increased use of weed killers on
farmland and general loss of derelict land has killed o many

of their host plants. For example, in the United Kingdom, the
Pelurga comitata population reportedly declined by 89 percent
between 1968 and 2002, and it is now classed as a priority species.

The Dark Spinach caterpillar is unusual in
appearance. The upper body is dark brown black
and olive green, while the lower side is much
paler with a creamy, zigzag line along the side,
separating the two areas.