Agriopis marginaria

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Agriopis
Species: A. marginaria

Common name: Dotted Border.

Wingspan: 27-32 mm.

This is a widespread species across Europe, that is notable for its striking sexual dimorphism and early spring flight period. The males are orange-brown to ochre, with darker cross-lines, and a row of black dots near the outer edge of the wings, giving the species its name “dotted border.” The antenna is feathered (bipectinate), which is adapted for detecting female pheromones. The females are small, dark, and sedentary like many Geometridae species they are wingless, remaining on tree trunks where they release pheromones to attract males. Caterpillars are green or brownish, and slender feeding on a wide range of deciduous trees and shrubs, such as oak, birch, willow, hawthorn, and fruit trees. The species overwinters as an egg laid on twigs or bark in late autumn and pupate in soil or leaf litter. Ecologically this is an important early-spring species in the Geometridae, often flying in cool conditions when few other moths are active.