Common Carpet

Holarctic; in North America found throughout much of the wooded parts of Canada, north to YT and NWT, south in the east to WV. In Alberta widespread and fairly common in the southern Boreal forest and Parklands regions, rare in the mountains.

A medium-small size (wingspan 2-2.5 cm) broad-winged dull charcoal and white moth. Forewings dull black or dark grey, crossed by a doubled white antemedian and prominent white postmedian band, the later with a faint grey line splitting it in two. Terminal areas grey, with upper half broader and darker, divided by a scalloped white line. Forewing discal spot a small black oval. Hindwings lighter grey, crossed by a series of obscure pale wavy lines, the white postmedian band wider and more prominent. Sexes similar; antennae in both sexes densely and finely ciliate. The smaller black and white E. sperryi is more crisply marked. Most similar to Euphyia intermedia, but greyer and with blurrier markings, not as crisp as in intermedia. The subterminal dark patch of E. intermedia is usually broken by a white streak just below the apex, but is not so divided in alternata. E. alternata also have patches of cinnamon hairs in the outer part of the dark patch on the upper forewing submargin, visible under magnification; these are lacking in E. intermedia.

E. alternata frequents open woods, edges and meadows.

Adults are nocturnal and come to light. There is a single annual brood, with adults from late May through early August, peaking in early July.

Larvae feed on species of bedstraw (Galium).

The common carpet or white-banded toothed carpet (Epirrhoe alternata) is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was 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.

Caterpillar

The wingspan is 27–30 mm. The forewings vary from grey to black, marked with white fascia, giving a striped appearance. The hindwings are paler grey with white fascia. Northern races tend to be paler overall. One or two broods are produced each year, and the adults may be seen any time from May to September[1]. 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 bedstraw. The species overwinters as a pupa.

The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.