Oospila of the tricamerata group (Oospila (tricamerata) sp. (Prout, 1916))
Scientific name: Oospila (tricamerata) sp. (Prout, 1916)
Common name: Oospila of the tricamerata group
French name:
Order: Lepidoptera
Suborder: Heterocera
Family: Geometridae
Subfamily: Geometrinae
Wingspan: 29-32 mm for males; 32-36 mm for females.
Biotope:
Geographic area: Tropical regions of South America
Flight time: All year round.
Number of generations :
Caterpillar:
Host plant:
There are more than 70 species in the Oospila genus. You cannot tell the 4 following species apart with a simple picture : Oospila tricamerata (Prout, 1916), Oospila carnelunata (Warren, 1906), Oospila marginata (Warren, 1897) and Oospila obsolescens (Warren, 1909).
I have also found pictures listed as Oospila confluaria which are very similar.
All the species of the Oospila genus have a thick dorsal crest on the abdomen. It is made of special scales.
The members of this group have bipectinate antennae. The body and the wings are dark green. This colour may become paler with age.
The crest on the upper side of the abdomen appears like a series of embossed dark grey spots on a white background.
The costal edge of the fore wings is orange brown. There is a small dark grey discal spot at the centre of each wing.
The outer edges of the wings are marked with dark grey sometimes surrounding whitish areas.
You can see a large spot with rounded edges at the anal angle of each wing.
The grey marginal border also extends from the apex of the fore wings, where it is very thin, to the middle of the outer edge. On the hind wings, it extends from the apex, where it is already well marked, to the middle of the outer edge.

Oospila of the tricamerata group (Oospila (tricamerata) sp.) - French Guiana, France - March 15th 2012
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Oospila of the tricamerata group (Oospila (tricamerata) sp.)
I have shot this picture at Roura, at Camps Patawa, during a light trap night session.
I do not know very much about the geographical range of all the species in this group. It is maybe possible to use it to restrict the number of species potentially matching this picture.

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