Eupithecia absinthiata

(Clerck, 1759)
Wormwood Pug

Sort #: 1827 | P #: 910289 | MPG #: 7586.1 | PFG Page #: 194
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Larval feeding type: Mostly on the flowers
Larval substrate: Solidago gigantea* (Smooth Goldenrod); a wide variety of plants, incl. Solidago (Goldenrod), 'Aster', Artemisia (Wormwood), Achillea (Yarrow) have been reported
Phenology: Adult: 8/03 to 9/20 (56 records)

Comment: Very similar to E. indistincta, but flies later in the year. Note that the rarer E. affinata can also look similar, although a bit smaller, and also flies in August. S. Whitebread found a larva feeding on Solidago gigantea 24-Oct-2018, which emerged 16-Sep-2019. It is possible that Massachusetts populations feed exclusively on Solidago and that the flight period therefore coincides with their flowering period. North American populations share the same DNA BIN with the European species E. goosensiata, but the taxa are nicely separated within that BIN. European E. absinthiata are in a separate, but very close DNA BIN.

Status in MA (automated assessment): Fairly widespread, rare
Status in N. America: Holarctic
MA Endangered Species Act status: None
First Year Reported: 1890
Last Year Reported: 2026

Distribution by County: Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, Worcester, Middlesex, Essex, Norfolk, Bristol, Plymouth, Dukes, Nantucket
Number of Records: 72