Eupithecia inoueata is a species of moth in the family Geometridae. It was described by András Mátyás Vojnits in 1981.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Family: Geometridae
- Genus: Eupithecia
- Species: E. inoueata
- Binomial name: Eupithecia inoueata Vojnits, 1981
Distribution
The species is known from Japan (Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu) and the Russian Far East (Primorsky Krai, southern Sakhalin, Kunashir Island). It may also occur in parts of China and the Korean Peninsula, though records vary by source.
Etymology
The specific epithet inoueata honors the Japanese entomologist Hiroshi Inoue (1917–2008), a prominent specialist in Geometridae, combined with the Latin suffix -ata (indicating possession or resemblance).
Description
Like many congeners, Eupithecia inoueata is a small, cryptically colored moth. Identification typically requires examination of genitalia or molecular analysis due to strong phenotypic similarity within the genus. General wing pattern consists of greyish-brown forewings with indistinct crosslines and a small discal spot; hindwings are paler with a weak discal spot.
Biology and Ecology
Larval host plants are not definitively documented in widely accessible primary literature for this specific species, though other Eupithecia species in the region are known to feed on flowers and leaves of various herbaceous plants and shrubs (e.g., Artemisia, Solidago, Asteraceae). Adults are nocturnal and attracted to light. The flight period in Japan generally occurs from May to July.
Conservation Status
The species has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List. It is not listed under major national conservation frameworks in Japan or Russia as a threatened species.
