Riband Wave (Idaea aversata) | Species | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Taken at Abingdon, Oxon., on July 21st 2021. (1/200th sec at f11. © David Hastings)  Form remutata. Taken at Aston, Oxon., on June 30th 2022. (1/500th sec at f11. © David Hastings) DescriptionFamily: Geometridae Wing span: 28 - 32mm This moth has a rather long, tapered forewing, sometimes slightly hooked, with the leading edge strongly arched to the tip. The ground colour is fawn to sandy brown. The riband form, with a dark grey cross-band, may be more frequent in dense woodland. The plain form remutata is as common as the riband form in the south. It is well distributed throughout the British Isles. It can be found in most habitats, including gardens, hedgerows, woodland, heathland, calcareous grassland and fens. It over-winters as a small larva. There is usually one generation from mid-June to mid-August. There may be a partial second. Larvae feed on a wide range of low-growing plants, including bedstraws, Wood Avens, Primrose, Dandelion and Dock. It can be disturbed during the day from low sward and tree trunks. It visits flowers from dusk, and comes to light. Sightings
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