Gastropacha quercifolia

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

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

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

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

External links

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

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