Gastropacha quercifolia

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

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

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