Numbers
one of 4 species in this genus in North America listed at
All-LepsIdentification
Adult: forewing surface texture appears granulated or "pebbled"; AM and PM lines cream or off-white with edges that seem frayed, ragged, or wiggly; discal dots lacking on all wings; whitish middorsal line on thorax continues onto abdomen
Lynn Scott describes the adult thus:
"Wings somewhat pale grayish green, sometimes appearing slightly bluish. On the forewing, the cream-colored antemedial and postmedial lines are clearly defined, but somewhat variable as to straightness. On the hindwing, only the postmedial line is present. A pale terminal line is sometimes evident. The fringe is also pale, sometimes a paler shade of the blue-green of the wing. The surface texture of the wing often appears somewhat alligatored. Ferguson (1985) comments also that there are no distinctive abdominal markings, but most of the specimens I have photographed show a cream stripe beginning on the thorax and extending along the abdomen."
Larva: body slender, light bluish-gray with dark purplish middorsal stripe and thin pale bands separating abdominal segments; head brownish
Range
Nova Scotia to Florida, west in Canada to Manitoba, west in the US to the Rockies, and south into Mexico
Season
adults fly from April to November in the south; May to September in the north
Food
larvae feed on fruit of blackberries and petals of various composite flowers
(1)Life Cycle
at least two generations per year
See Also
C. phyllinaria has thinner, whiter lines, and PM line curves outward
C. triangularis has thinner lines and its range (California to British Columbia) does not overlap
C. chloroleucaria (
see photo at CBIF)
Showy Emerald (
Dichorda iridaria) wing surface not granulated, forewing AM and PM lines bicolored (bordered by dark green on medial side) and sharp-edged (not frayed, ragged, or wiggly), black discal dots on all wings, and thorax lacks middorsal whitish stripe (
compare images of both species at CBIF)
Print References
Ferguson, D. C., 1985. Moths of America North of Mexico, Fascicle 18.1: p. 105; pl. 4.27-30.
(2)Internet References
Moth Photographers Group - range map, photos of larvae, living and pinned adults.
Photos of larvae and adult (Friends Central School, Pennsylvania)
Photo of adult (Larry Line, Maryland)
live adult images plus description, foodplants, flight season, life cycles (Lynn Scott, Ontario)
live larva images (Friends Central School, Pennsylvania)
distribution in Canada list of provinces (CBIF)
