Ringed China Mark Parapoynx stratiotata
Another China Mark turning up in our garden is the Ringed China Mark. The males are quite white with a small spot resembling a ring. its caterpillar eats various water plants and is even more adapted to living submerged: it has gills, allowing the animal to take oxygen straight from the water. It too visits gardens regularly, especially when a pond is present. The females of the Ringed China Mark are very difficult to identify. Not only are there virtually no markings on the wings, they are also very variable when it comes to colour: from almost white to almost black! Just look at the bottom three pictures. In spite of the various colours they belong to the same species. Males are much smaller than females. Males hardly reach a wingspan of 23 mm, while females usually reach a wingspan of some 30 mm. Males are more beautiful though, as can be seen in the top three pictures. This is a local species in Southern parts of England, a rarity in Northern England and not found in Wales and Scotland. In Ireland however this is a common and often abundant species.
