Euchoeca nebulata (Scopoli, 1763)


Euchoeca nebulata: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2010) [S] Euchoeca nebulata: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2010). The species keeps its wings mostly closed, unlike many other geometrids. [S] Euchoeca nebulata: Half-grown larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, September 2010) [M] Euchoeca nebulata: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, September 2010) [M] Euchoeca nebulata: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, September 2010) [M] Euchoeca nebulata: Larva (Iller near Memmingen, September 2010) [M] Euchoeca nebulata: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, September 2010) [S] Euchoeca nebulata: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, September 2010) [S] Euchoeca nebulata: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, September 2010) [S] Euchoeca nebulata: Pupa (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany) Euchoeca nebulata: Pupa (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2010) [S] Euchoeca nebulata: Habitat on the eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany: afforestation with single alders (September 2010) [N]

Host plants:
The caterpillar lives on alder (Alnus), and significantly less common on hazel (Corylus, a single own observation) and also according to literature on Betula. I found larvae on both Alnus incana and Alnus glutinosa.

Habitat:
Euchoeca nebulata inhabits alder galleries along streams and rivers, alder swamps and generally places with alder occurrence.

Life cycle:
The moths fly depending on the altitude in one or two generations from mid-April to early September. The caterpillars are found in summer and autumn easily on the underside of leaves of alder. I observed many larvae on the Swabian Alb and the Allgäu (SW-Bavaria) in September 2010.

Remarks:
Euchoeca nebulata is widespread in Europe and temperate Asia to Japan.