Editing Common carpet

{{Short description|Species of moth}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Epirrhoe alternata-01 (xndr).jpg
| taxon = Epirrhoe alternata
| authority = ([[Otto Friedrich Müller|O. F. Müller]], 1764)
}}

The '''common carpet''' or '''white-banded toothed carpet''' ('''''Epirrhoe alternata''''') is a [[moth]] of the family [[Geometridae]]. The species was [[Species description|first described]] by [[Otto Friedrich Müller]] in 1764. It is found throughout the [[Palearctic]] and the [[Near East]].  In North America it ranges across the northern tier of the United States plus every province and territory of Canada.
[[Image:Epirrhoe.alternata.7126.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]
[[Image:Epirrhoe.alternata5.-.lindsey.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Caterpillar]]

The [[wingspan]] is 27–30&nbsp;mm. The forewings vary from grey to black, marked with white [[fascia]], giving a striped appearance. The forewings are patterned grey at the base of the wings, after a narrow light fascia comes a wide, brown patterned band, which is followed by an almost pure, light band. Beyond it, on the outer edge of the wings, the wings are again dark brown and grey patterned.The outer dark fascia is intersected throughout its length by a grey line.The hindwings are paler grey with white fascia. Northern races tend to be paler overall.
The central fascia varies in width; it is often contracted below the middle, sometimes completely severed at this point, and in ab. ''degenerata'', Haworth, both portions are much reduced in width.There are  brownish-grey examples from the Isle of Lewis;these are var. ''obscurata'', South. There are intermediate modifications leading up to a form in which the whole of the central third of the fore wings is whitish, with the usual cross lines dingy grey, and some tiny clouds of the same colour around the black discal spot.<ref>Jaan Viidalepp
and  Axel Hausmann, 2013 In: Axel Hausmann (Hrsg.): ''The Geometrid Moths of Europe''. 1. Auflage. Volume 3: Larentiinae I. Apollo Books, Stenstrup 2013, ISBN|978-90-04-26097-9 </ref><ref>South R. (1908) ''The Moths of the British Isles'', (Second Series), Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd., London & NY: 388 pp.{{PD-notice}}</ref>


One or two broods are produced each year, and the adults may be seen any time from May to September{{ref|flight_season}}. The species flies at night and is attracted to light.

The [[larva]] is generally brown or green but is very variable in its markings. It feeds on [[Galium|bedstraw]]. The species overwinters as a [[pupa]].

# {{Note|flight_season}} ''The flight season refers to the [[British Isles]]. This may vary in other parts of the range.''

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*[[Chinery, Michael]] ''Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe'' 1986 (Reprinted 1991)
*[[Bernard Skinner (entomologist)|Skinner, Bernard]] ''Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles'' 1984

==External links==
*[https://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/epirrhoe-alternata/ Common carpet at ''UKMoths'']
*{{cite web |last=McLeod |first=Robin |date=February 21, 2018 |url=https://bugguide.net/node/view/11201/ |title=Species ''Epirrhoe alternata'' - White-banded Toothed Carpet - Hodges#7394 |website=BugGuide |accessdate=May 14, 2019}}
*[http://uahost.uantwerpen.be/vve/Checklists/Lepidoptera/Geometridae/Ealternata.htm ''Lepidoptera of Belgium'']
*[http://www.lepiforum.de/lepiwiki.pl?Epirrhoe_Alternata ''Lepiforum e.V.'']
*[http://www.vlindernet.nl/vlindersoort.php?vlinderid=162 ''De Vlinderstichting''] {{in lang|nl}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q1543684}}

[[Category:Epirrhoe]]
[[Category:Moths described in 1764]]
[[Category:Moths of Europe]]
[[Category:Moths of Asia]]
[[Category:Moths of Iceland]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Otto Friedrich Müller]]


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