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Agriopis aurantiaria
Scarce Umber 
Orangegelber Breitflügelspanner 
Subspecies
(1) Agriopis aurantiaria aurantiaria (Huebner, 1799)
(2) Agriopis aurantiaria cleui Leraut, 1993
(3) Agriopis aurantiaria lariciaria (Scholz, 1947)

Apparently, the two taxa aurantiaria and lariciaria are not geographically separated, but occur sympatrically and use different host plants (aurantiaria feeds on a large variety of broadleaf trees, whereas lariciaria appears to be entirely restricted to Larix decidua (European Larch)). This may indicate that they are not subspecies, but actually are two separate species. The taxon lariciaria is so far only known from Austria and northern Italy, but in Innsbruck comes close to the German border; thus finds of Agriopis aurantiaria in southernmost Bavaria should be identified carefully, as they might prove to be lariciaria. So far, only the nominate subspecies has been recorded in Germany.
Synonyms
Synonymy of Agriopis aurantiaria aurantiaria:

Geometra aurantiaria Huebner, 1799
Hybernia aurantiaria (Huebner, 1799)
Hybernia aurantiaria aurantiaria (Huebner, 1799)
Hibernia aurantiaria (Huebner, 1799)
Agriopis aurantiaria (Huebner, 1799)
Agriopis aurantiaria aurantiaria (Huebner, 1799)
Phalaena mellearia Scharfenberg (in Bechstein et Scharfenberg), 1805 (p. 676)
Geometra incompletaria Haworth, 1809
Hibernia aurantiaria fasciaria Von Linstow, 1907 (p. 102) (infrasubspecific)
Hybernia aurantiaria lariciaria fasciaria (Von Linstow, 1907)
Hybernia aurantiaria venosaria Galvagni, 1948 (p. 103) (infrasubspecific)

The taxon fasciaria has been described as an individual aberration (Von Linstow 1907). Scholz (1947) has suggested that these aberrant specimens belong to his newly described subspecies lariciaria. I do not agree with Scholz (1947), because the aberrant specimens have been collected in Göttingen (Germany) which is well outside the known range of the taxon lariciaria, and because Von Linstow (1907) does not mention any connection of the animals to Larch trees.

The taxon mellearia has been described by Scharfenberg (1805). The description shows that it is clearly a synonym of the present species. However, Scharfenberg erroneously also synonymized Esper´s "Phalaena Geometra Quadripunctaria" with his new species. Because Esper´s taxon is actually a synonym of Alsophila aceraria, this has led some authors to list Phalaena mellearia as a synonym of Alsophila aceraria; in fact, this is an erroneous synonymy based on Scharfenberg´s error.


Synonymy of Agriopis aurantiaria lariciaria:
Because the taxon lariciaria could in principle also reach the southernmost parts of Germany, I also include its synonymy here.

Hybernia aurantiaria fumipennaria Hellweger, 1906 (p. 210) (infrasubspecific)
Hybernia aurantiaria brunnea Burmann, 1944 (p. 36) (infrasubspecific)
Hybernia aurantiaria obscura Burmann, 1944 (p. 36) (infrasubspecific)
Hybernia aurantiaria lariciaria Scholz, 1947 (p. 113)
Agriopis aurantiaria lariciaria (Scholz, 1947)
Type locality: "Tiroler Lärchenwälder" (Austria, Italy). Types lost?
Hybernia aurantiaria lariciaria reductaria Scholz, 1947 (p. 118) (infrasubspecific)
Hybernia aurantiaria lariciaria demacularia Scholz, 1947 (p. 118) (infrasubspecific)
Hybernia aurantiaria lariciaria luxuriaria Scholz, 1947 (p. 118) (infrasubspecific)
Hybernia aurantiaria lariciaria nigrofasciaria Scholz, 1947 (p. 118) (infrasubspecific)
Hybernia aurantiaria lariciaria oenipontana Scholz, 1947 (p. 118) (infrasubspecific)
Hybernia aurantiaria lariciaria bellaria Scholz, 1947 (p. 119) (infrasubspecific)
Hybernia aurantiaria lariciaria ellipsaria Scholz, 1947 (p. 119) (infrasubspecific)
Hybernia aurantiaria lariciaria confluaria Scholz, 1947 (p. 119) (infrasubspecific)
Hybernia aurantiaria lariciaria poelli Scholz, 1947 (p. 119) (infrasubspecific)
Hybernia aurantiaria lariciaria weileri Scholz, 1947 (p. 119) (infrasubspecific)
Hybernia aurantiaria lariciaria marmoraria Scholz, 1947 (p. 119) (infrasubspecific)
Hybernia aurantiaria lariciaria grisearia Scholz, 1947 (p. 119) (infrasubspecific)
Hybernia aurantiaria lariciaria margineobscuraria Scholz, 1947 (p. 119) (infrasubspecific)
Hybernia aurantiaria lariciaria umbraria Scholz, 1947 (p. 119) (infrasubspecific)
Hybernia aurantiaria lariciaria nigra Scholz, 1947 (p. 119) (infrasubspecific)

The taxon fumipennaria has been described by Hellweger (1906) as an individual aberration. I agree with Scholz (1947) that the specimens that showed this aberration were likely members of the subspecies lariciaria, because Hellweger states that the specimens were collected near Innsbruck (Austria) in a larch forest, which agrees well with the known range of the subspecies and its dependence on Larch trees.
I also agree with Scholz (1947) that the aberrative specimens described by Burmann (1944) as "ab. brunnea" and "ab. obscura" also were likely specimens of the subspecies lariciaria: they were collected in the Stubai valley in Larch forests as well.
Identification
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Distribution
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Biology
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