Species Details

ABH: 70.061

BF: 1738

Family: Geometridae

Subfamily: Larentiinae

Taxon: Epirrhoe alternata

=Epirrhoe alternata alternata

=Epirrhoe alternata obscurata

Authority: (Müller, 1764)

Vernacular: Common Carpet

Account: Common in a wide range of habitats, including hedgerows, woodland, calcareous grassland, acid heathland, moorland, fens, sand-dunes and gardens throughout the British Isles. An abundant species, which may be confused for superficially similar, but much scarcer species, such as Wood Carpet E. rivata and Galium Carpet E. galiata. Larva feeds on Cleavers, Lady's Bedstraw and Hedge Bedstraw, over-wintering as a pupa.

Accounts provided by and used with the kind permission of Mike Wall, Hampshire County Moth Recorder. These will in due course be gradually replaced with species accounts with a Surrey context.

Wingspan: 27 — 30 mm

Surrey Flight Period: 23 Apr (2007) — 9 Nov (2025)

The flight period of overwintering adults are not given. See the flight chart below the distribution map.

Foodplant: Galium sp.

Foodplant accounts are from the HOSTS database — Natural History Museum, London, UK. (CC0).

Status: Least Concern (LC)

UK BAP:

WCA:

Click here to view the full geology map of Surrey.

Verification Grade: 1 — Relatively easily identified 👌

Further Information: https://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/epirrhoe-alternata/

Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 1471

Individuals: 660

Earliest Year: 1893

Latest Year: 2025

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