Photo © Mike Wall

Cloaked Pug

Eupithecia abietaria

Checklist Number
70.149 [B&F: 1815]

Verification
Record will require further evidence, at least a good photograph, unless CMR is aware recorder has confidence in identification

Classification

Family:Geometridae
Subfamily:Larentiinae (Eupetheciini)
Genus:Eupithecia
Species:abietaria
Authority:(Goeze, 1781)

Uncommon, in coniferous woodland and plantations, in northern England and mid-Wales, with a thin scattering of records elsewhere. In Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight the occasional records of this species in the area suggest migration, but it is possible that a resident population occurs, as it evidently did at one time in the New Forest. There are a few recent records, at Fareham in 1993 and Romsey in 2008. Wingspan 21-25 mm. Large size and prominent discal spot make this a fairly distinctive pug. Larva feeds within young shoots of various coniferous trees, including Norway Spruce, Sitka Spruce, European Silver-fir and Noble Fir, over-wintering as a pupa.

The abundance in each month is indicated as follows:

No records
Very occasional
Irregular
Uncommon
Off-peak, but not unusual
Off-peak, but not unusual
Main flight time
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Adult
Larval

Records by week (adult)

Records by week (larval)

No Larval records to show.

VC8 Wiltshire (Hants county)

Site Date Quantity Recorder Stage
Damerham (SU11)20/08/2012onePaul ToyntonAdult

VC10 Isle of Wight

Site Date Quantity Recorder Stage
Shanklin (SZ58)29/07/1983oneJim M ChevertonAdult
Totland (SZ38)04/07/2012oneSam Knill-JonesAdult
Freshwater (SZ38)05/07/2012oneDavid B WooldridgeAdult

VC11 South Hampshire

Site Date Quantity Recorder Stage
Winchester (SU43)19/06/1980oneD H SterlingAdult
Parkhill Inclosure, NF (SU30)05/09/1991oneSean ClancyAdult
Fareham (SU50)12/06/1993oneRichard J DicksonAdult
Ironshill Inclosure, NF (SU30)21/07/2004oneBrian Elliott, Tony PicklesAdult
Romsey (SU32)27/07/2008oneMike BakerAdult
Southsea (SZ69)27/05/2012oneJohn R LangmaidAdult
Fareham (SU50)30/05/2012oneKeith WheelerAdult
Catisfield (SU50)28/07/2019twoAmy L RobjohnsAdult

VC12 North Hampshire

Site Date Quantity Recorder Stage
Burghclere (SU46)1984oneG G Eastwick-FieldAdult
Northwood (SU43)27/06/1986oneReg A BellAdult
Burghclere (SU46)29/05/1989oneG G Eastwick-FieldAdult
Basingstoke (SU65)26/05/2012oneMike WallAdult
Basingstoke (SU65)14/06/2023oneMike WallAdult