Magpie Moth (Abraxas grossulariata)

OTHER NAMES: The Magpie

Featured Subspecies: Abraxas (a type of ancient medieval amulet) grossulariata (?)

Adult Magpie Moth (subspecies A. g. grossulariata) at Geddington, Northants - August 2016

Featured Subspecies: Abraxas grossulariata grossulariata
Wingspan: 35-40mm
UK STATUS NOT EVALUATED / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated 

A distinctive moth of North America and the Northern Palearctic, it is a fairly common species in the UK.  Unusually for butterflies and moths, the catepillar of this species actually has a similar colour scheme to the adult.  They feed on current and gooseberry bushes as a catepillars and as such can be seen as pest be people who cultivate them.

Related Species:
Order: Lepidoptera 
Family: Geometridae 
Genus: Abraxas 
SUBSPECIES: A. g. grossulariata, A. g. karafutonis, A. g. conspurcata, A. g. dsungarica

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A fairly common resident

 - Seen in Geddington

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto