Dysstroma citrata

Description

Dysstroma citrata, the dark marbled carpet or northern marbled carpet, is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found across the Holarctic ecozone. It has also been reported from India. The wingspan is 25–32 mm. The ground colour of the forewings may show whitish, grey, black or brown tints but the colour is extremely variable and there are strongly darkened forms. Characteristic is the protruding post medial line on the front wings, which usually reaches the post discal wavy line or interrupts it. Very similar to Dysstroma truncata. Adults are on wing from July to August It is found from Europe through the temperate zone of Asia through Northwest China, Mongolia to the Russian Far East and Japan. It is absent in Portugal, on the Mediterranean islands and Greece. In the North, it occurs in Scandinavia up to Lapland and Iceland and the Faroe Islands.In North America it is found from Alaska and Newfoundland to New England and California.It is also reported in India. It has been found at a height of about 2,400 metres in the Alps. It prefers mountainous areas, wetlands, mountain forests and bushy slopes. The larvae feed on various shrubs and herbaceous plants, including Vaccinium species such as Vaccinium myrtillus and Vaccinium uliginosum as well as Aster tripolium, Alnus and Salix.