Ecliptopera

Warren, 1894

Species Guides

1

Ecliptopera is a of geometrid moths in the Larentiinae, established by Warren in 1894. The genus includes the well-studied Small Phoenix (E. silaceata), which has served as a model for genomic research in Lepidoptera. in this genus are characterized by distinctive wing patterns with broad transverse bands and variable markings.

Ecliptopera silaceata by (c) Donald Hobern, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.Ecliptopera by (c) Rejoice Gassah, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Rejoice Gassah. Used under a CC-BY license.Ecliptopera silaceata (2937542004) by Donald Hobern from Copenhagen, Denmark. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Ecliptopera: /ɪˌklɪptəˈpɪərə/

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Images

Habitat

Woodlands and varied where larval foodplants occur, based on documentation for E. silaceata.

Distribution

Recorded from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Vermont (USA). The E. silaceata is common across Britain and Ireland, with broader distribution across Europe, Asia, and parts of northern North America.

Host Associations

  • Epilobium - larval foodplantwillowherbs; documented for E. silaceata

Life Cycle

E. silaceata has two to three annually in the UK, depending on latitude and summer temperatures; overwinters as a pupa.

Behavior

Male E. silaceata exhibits a distinctive resting posture with the tip of the curled upward.

Human Relevance

E. silaceata sequenced (316.5 Mb assembly, 29 chromosomal pseudomolecules, 16,770 protein-coding genes) as part of the Darwin Tree of Life project.

Sources and further reading