About Eulithis mellinata (Fabricius, 1787)
The spinach, Eulithis mellinata, is a moth in the family Geometridae. This species was first formally described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1787. It can be found across most of the Palearctic region and the Near East, but its distribution is quite local because it depends on a specialized larval food plant. In the British Isles, it is fairly common in England and Wales, but much rarer in Scotland and Ireland. This moth has a wingspan of 33 to 38 mm. Its forewings are yellow, marked with brown fasciae, a brown apical streak, and brown chequering on the fringe. The base forewing ground colour ranges from light yellow to honey yellow, and the basal field is slightly darkened. The inner brownish transverse line that surrounds the central field bends sharply at a right angle just below the anterior margin. The strong violet-brown outer transverse line has a prominent jagged bulge that points toward the wing margin. There is a brownish dividing line on the apex. Transverse lines are barely visible on the hindwings, which range from white-yellow to solid cream. In newly emerged moths, the fringes have alternating light and dark spots; this marking fades in specimens that have been flying for a longer time. The hindwings are rarely visible, because this species typically rests in a very distinctive characteristic posture: it holds its forewings out at 90 degrees to the body, and keeps the hindwings hidden behind the forewings. Several other members of the same genus, such as the northern spinach and barred straw, rest in a similar posture. This species flies at night from June to August, and is attracted to light. This flight season refers specifically to populations in the British Isles, and may differ in other parts of the species' range. The larva is green with white lines, and feeds exclusively on currant plants. The species overwinters in the egg stage.
