Juniper pug


The juniper pug or juniper looper is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775. It is found throughout the Palearctic and Nearctic regions and the Near East.
Subspecies E. p. interruptofasciata is sometimes treated as a valid species Eupithecia interruptofasciata.
The forewings are greyish brown with two distinctive black bands. The wingspan is 17–21 mm. The adults fly at night from July to September and are attracted to light.
In the Old World the larva feeds on Juniperus and also on some other conifers in the cypress family such as Chamaecyparis and Thuja. In the New World there is a greater range of recorded food plants including apple, clover, raspberry, redcurrant, strawberry, sunflower and willow as well as juniper. The species overwinters as an egg.
  1. The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.

    Subspecies