Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Geometridae Scientific name Scopula ternata | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Scopula Rank Species | |
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Similar Scopula immutata, Cream wave, Scopula marginepunctata, Scopula decorata, Scopula immorata | ||
Scopula ternata, the smoky wave, is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is mainly found in Northern and parts of Central Europe and in isolated populations in Southern and South-Eastern Europe. Its western range is Eastern France, Eastern Belgium and Scotland, with an isolated population in the Pyrenees. In the North its range extends to the polar regions and in the South it is found up to the Alps. Its Eastern range extends through Central and North Russia up to the Ural, through Siberia up to the Yenisei River.
The wingspan is 24–29 mm for males and 21–25 mm for females. The moth flies from May to July in the warmer regions and from June to August in Northern Europe.
The larva preferably feeds on Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium uliginosum, Calluna vulgaris, Lathyrus niger, Salix repens and Erica. Less frequent, they have also been recorded on Lonicera tatarica, Stellaria, Polygonum aviculare, Fragaria vesca, Lactuca sativa and Taraxacum officinale.
