Hemithea aestivaria

The emerald green wing coloration is distinctive, though fading must be considered when examining preserved material. The species can be distinguished from similar green geometrids by its distribution and flight period in combination with color characteristics. Adults are attracted to light traps, facilitating detection.

Adults display blue-green wings with a characteristic emerald coloration produced by the pigment geoverdin. The wingspan is moderate for geometrid moths. The green coloration fades with exposure to light, affecting both living moths and preserved specimens.

Woodland habitats, particularly in southern England where it is most abundant. Specimens have been collected from deciduous woodland environments such as Wytham Woods, Oxfordshire.

Native to Eurasia from Portugal and Ireland eastward to Japan and Korea. Most common in southern England with northern limit in southern Scotland. Introduced to North America: British Columbia (first recorded 1979), Oregon, Washington State, and since 2019 to Ontario, Québec, and Nova Scotia in Canada.

Adults fly in summer (univoltine in Europe). In Japan, a bivoltine generation pattern has been observed.

Larvae are polyphagous: feed on low-growing herbaceous plants in autumn, then after overwintering feed on leaves of woody trees and bushes.

Univoltine in Europe with adults flying in summer; bivoltine in Japan. Larvae feed in autumn on herbaceous plants, overwinter, then continue feeding on woody plants. Pupation presumably follows larval development, though specific pupal details are not documented in available sources.

Adults are attracted to light traps. The green wing pigment geoverdin is light-sensitive, causing color to fade in living individuals and dried specimens.

Minor pest of apple orchards in the introduced range (Pacific Northwest of North America). Otherwise functions as a generalist herbivore in woodland ecosystems.

Accidentally introduced to North America, where it has established populations and causes minor damage to apple orchards in the Pacific Northwest. Subject of genomic research with published genome assembly.

• Other green geometrid mothsSimilar emerald coloration; distinguished by distribution, flight period, and fading characteristics of geoverdin pigment

• genome sequenced
• introduced species
• orchard pest
• light-sensitive pigment

• BugGuide
• GBIF taxonomy match
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life
• The genome sequence of the Common Emerald, Hemithea aestivaria (Hübner, 1789).