description Engrailed Overview
The engrailed, Ectropis crepuscularia, is a geometrid moth recorded across Eurasia and North America. Its larvae are highly polyphagous, meaning they can feed on many kinds of trees and other plants rather than relying on one host species. The species is associated with woodland and other habitats where suitable larval food plants occur, and it is of interest to observers of European and temperate moths.
help Engrailed FAQ
What is the engrailed moth?
The engrailed, Ectropis crepuscularia, is a moth in the family Geometridae, the geometer or inchworm moths, recorded across Eurasia and North America. Some taxonomists treat the North American populations as part of a complex of closely related species still being sorted out.
What do engrailed moth caterpillars eat?
The larvae are highly polyphagous, feeding on many kinds of trees and shrubs rather than depending on a single host plant. That dietary flexibility helps explain why the species is so widespread.
Why is it called the engrailed?
The common name refers to the finely engraved-looking wavy cross-lines on its greyish-brown wings, which camouflage it against tree bark. The scientific name crepuscularia evokes twilight, fitting a moth that flies at night.
Where can you find engrailed moths?
They are associated with woodland habitats across Eurasia and North America. Adults fly at night and are commonly recorded at light traps, the standard survey method for moths.
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