Species Details

ABH: 70.083

BF: 1771a

Family: Geometridae

Subfamily: Larentiinae

Taxon: Thera cupressata

Authority: (Geyer, [1831])

Vernacular: Cypress Carpet

Account: Increasingly common in parks and gardens in parts of south-eastern England. First recorded in mainland Britain in 1984 in West Sussex, and now established across much of southern England The main confusion species is Juniper Carpet T. juniperata, which see for differences. Larva feeds on Monterey Cypress.

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: 28 — 32 mm

Surrey Flight Period: 30 Apr (2022) — 16 Nov (2012)

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

Foodplant: Cupressus macrocarpa (Monterey Cypress).

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/thera-cupressata/

Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 211

Individuals: 16

Earliest Year: 1990

Latest Year: 2025

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