About Pelurga comitata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Pelurga comitata, commonly known as the dark spinach, is a moth species belonging to the family Geometridae. This species is found across the entire Palearctic realm. Within this range, it occurs across Europe excluding the southwest and Arctic regions, as well as in Siberia, the Russian Far East, and northern China. The wingspan of this moth ranges from 25 to 30 mm, and the forewings measure 16 to 18 mm in length. The forewings have a yellow-brown base ground colour, with a darker brownish basal field. The wide midfield is intersected by several lines, and has a dark band along its inner edge. The basic forewing colour only varies slightly, in shades of pale and dark brown. The outer edge of the midfield is bordered by a dark cross line that has a pronounced outward bend. The wing apex is divided by a dark bar. The paler marginal field has a faint wavy line, shaded on its inner side by brownish stains. The hindwings are yellowish grey, and bear indistinct crossbars. Three aberrations of this species have been documented. In the aberration ferruginascens Krulik., the ground colour becomes a bright rust-reddish shade. In aberration moldavinata Carad., the moth is much darker and more uniformly coloured, and the hindwing is also darkened. This form has been recorded from northern Germany, Romania, the Ural, Ussuri, and other locations, and may be developing into a local race in some areas. Aberration zonata Wahlgren has an entirely brown-black median band, while its ground colour remains the typical shade. The larva is stout, with a wrinkled lateral surface and distinct segmentation. It is ochreous brown, with a green-tinged dorsum marked by a row of large, forward-pointing V-shaped dark markings on the abdominal segments. Adult moths fly from mid-June to mid-September. The larvae feed on orache and goosefoot, feeding especially on the plants' flowers and seeds.
