Gastropacha quercifolia

Lappet
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lasiocampidae
Genus:	Gastropacha
Species:	G. quercifolia
Binomial name
	Gastropacha quercifolia; (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
	Phalaena quercifolia Linnaeus, 1758;

Gastropacha quercifolia, the lappet, is a moth of the family Lasiocampidae. It is found in Europe and east across the Palearctic to Japan.

Illustration from John Curtis's British Entomology Volume 5

The wingspan is 50–90 mm. Meyrick describes it thus - forewings with 9 to termen; red-brown, with purple-bluish gloss, towards costa blackish-mixed, dorsally ferruginous; first, second, and praesubterminal lines blackish-grey, waved, bent near costa; a blackish-grey discal mark; termen waved-dentate. Hindwings as forewings, but lines indistinct, straight, costal area ferruginous, with about six blackish pseudoneuria; 8 connected with cell by long bar. Larva dark grey or brown; whitish dorsal marks on 3 and 4; 2nd and 3rd incisions deep indigo-blue; a prominence on 1 2; a subspiracular series of tubercles and fringe of pale hairs.[1]

The larvae feed on Crataegus, Prunus spinosa, willow and oak.

Subspecies

Gastropacha quercifolia quercifolia (Linnaeus, 1758)
Gastropacha quercifolia mekongensis de Lajonquière, 1976
Gastropacha quercifolia thibetana de Lajonquière, 1976

References

Meyrick, E., 1895 A Handbook of British Lepidoptera MacMillan, London pdf This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

External links

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[1] Meyrick, E., 1895 A Handbook of British Lepidoptera MacMillan, London pdf This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.