| Latticed Heath (Chiasmia clathrata (Linnaeus, 1758)) |
|
|
|
Scientific name: Chiasmia clathrata (Linnaeus, 1758) Common name: Latticed Heath French name: Géomètre à barreaux, Réseau. Order: Lepidoptera Suborder: Heterocera Family: Geometridae Subfamily: Ennominae Wingspan: 22 to 26 mm. Females are slightly smaller than males. Biotope: Open areas, waste grounds, clearings, woodland edges, mowed meadows, road sides. Geographic area: Europe, North Africa, Asia, except in extreme south, east to Japan. Flight time: April to June then August to September. Number of generations : 2 Caterpillar: Bright green with wavy whitish lines. Host plant: Various Fabaceae including Clover (Trifolium sp.), Lucerne (Medicago sativa), and Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca). |
The Latticed Heath's wings show dark brown lattice-shaped marks on a background colour which may vary from yellowish white to beige. The drawings are similar on both sides of the wings. The wings have a black and white dotted fringe. The Latticed Heath flies during the day and during the night. It is attracted to light. It overwinters in the ground as a pupa. |
| [To know more about the Latticed Heath] [Next picture] [Top] |
|
In this Clearing, Latticed Heath moths fly with Common Heath moths. It is rather easy to tell them apart. |
| [To know more about the Latticed Heath] [Next picture] [Previous picture] [Top] |
|
Unlike butterflies, moths are used to landing at mid-height of the vegetation. |
| [To know more about the Latticed Heath] [Next picture] [Previous picture] [Top] |
|
You need to lean down in order to take the picture at same height as the eyes. |
| [To know more about the Latticed Heath] [Next picture] [Previous picture] [Top] |
|
Conditions were very good to shoot this picture: No wind, a very kind moth, no parasite grass stem in the field of view and nice green grasses in the far to get a beautiful bookeh. |
| [To know more about the Latticed Heath] [Next picture] [Previous picture] [Top] |
|
Here is another angle of view with manual focus to get a very sharp eye. |
| [To know more about the Latticed Heath] [Previous picture] [Top] |
|
Here is my first light trap test with a very simple assembly: A piece of white sheet and an incandescent bulb at the tip of an extension cord. I have got a few visits including one Latticed Heath. |
André Bon November 2021