Barred Straw

Gandaritis pyraliata

This record describes Gandaritis pyraliata (species). Recorded family: Geometridae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.

Identification and Appearance

Wingspan 28-33 mm. This moth is easily identified due to its unique resting posture with the forewings held extended and covering the hindwings. Hedgerows, gardens, woodland rides, scrubby grassland. The larvae feed on various Bedstraws. overwinters as an egg, pupates among plant debris. It is fairly frequent and distributed over much of mainland Britain, but scarcer in the North of Scotland. In a recent survey to determine the status of all macro moths in Britain this species was classified as common.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Gandaritis

Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.

Habitat and Range

Habitat

Hedgerows, gardens, woodland rides, scrubby grassland.

Seasonal Activity

Mid June to Early August.

Diet and Behavior

Life History

The larvae feed on various Bedstraws. overwinters as an egg, pupates among plant debris.

Additional species information

Recorded status

It is fairly frequent and distributed over much of mainland Britain, but scarcer in the North of Scotland. In a recent survey to determine the status of all macro moths in Britain this species was classified as common.

About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group

Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Gandaritis pyraliata. Species-specific details appear above.

Group overview

Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.

Ecological role of the group

Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.

Economic and practical significance of the group

Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.

Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.

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