Blood-vein

The Blood-vein (Timandra griseata) is a moth of the family Geometridae. It has a scattered distribution in Northern Europe. In the British Isles the distribution is patchy outside southern England and Wales.

The wings are cream-coloured with bold red or purple fascia forming a diagonal stripe across forewings and hindwings. All wings are fringed with the same colour. The tornus of the hindwing is sharply angled giving a distinctive shape. The wingspan is 30-35 mm. Two broods are produced each year with the adults flying in May and June and again in August and September. It flies at night and is attracted to light.

The larva is grey-brown with darker spots on the back. It feeds on a variety of plants including dock, knotgrass, sorrel and various species of Atriplex. It overwinters as a larva.

References

Chinery, Michael Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe 1986 (Reprinted 1991)

Skinner, Bernard Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles 1984