Eupithecia absinthiata
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The wormwood pug (Eupithecia absinthiata) is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Carl Alexander Clerck in 1759. It is a common species across the Palearctic region as well as North America.
The wingspan is 21–23 mm and the forewings are warm brown with two black spots along the costa with a black discal spot completing a distinctive triangle. There is a pale narrow line near the fringe with a distinct whitish spot near the tornus, although this is not as prominent as in the rather similar currant pug. The hindwings are greyish brown.ab. obscura Dietze (Kassimov, Central Russia) is much darker, the forewing described as sepia-coloured.
Adult larvae are smooth and elongated. They adapt to the basic colour of the respective food plant and are accordingly greenish, cream-colored or brownish colored and usually show a reddish-brown diamond-like pattern on the back. Sometimes light green, almost unmarked specimens also appear.
The yellow-brown pupa is provided with greenish wing sheaths. At the cremaster there are eight hook bristles, the middle pair of which is strongly formed. Eupithecia absinthiata requires examination of a genital preparation for certain identification.
The species flies at night in June and July and is attracted to light. As the name suggests, the larva feeds on the flowers of mugwort (which is sometimes called "common wormwood"), but it will also feed on the flowers of a range of other plants (see list below). The species overwinters as a pupa. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Wormwood Pug sighting in London on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 1219th most-seen of the 1504 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Wormwood Pug in London on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 5 and 8 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Wormwood Pug sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Wormwood Pug sightings, London ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Liverpool (United Kingdom, under 5%).
Same genus: Eupithecia
The closest relatives of the Wormwood Pug that you can see in London (genus Eupithecia, Pug Moths) are Lime-Speck Pug (about 10%), Cypress Pug (about 10%) and Common Pug (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Wormwood Pug is recorded against all the insects logged in London (7 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
