Theria primaria

Theria primaria, the early moth, is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found throughout Western Europe and the South Caucasus.



The wingspan is 32 – and the forewings are 14 – long. The ground colour of the forewings is reddish brown. The male subterminal and antemedial lines are slightly wavy with the areas between these lines usually being a darker brown than the ground colour. The forewing apex is rounded and there is a small discal spot towards the costal edge. The hindwings are pale whitish brown with a tiny discal spot. Females have short wings (60% of the length of the abdomen."The male may be known at once by the large discal spot of the forewing and the 2 crenulate dark lines, white-edged on the reverse sides. The rudimentary wings of the female have the apex acute, the forewing bears 2 approximated dark lines, the intervening space often darkened into a band. — ab. ibicaria H.-Sch. is darker, with the lines obsolete."

The moth flies in January to February.

The larva feeds on hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) and blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)