Other Common Names
a number of species have the word Angle in their common name
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Itame (in part)
Semiothisa (in part)
(Macaria includes almost all species formerly placed in these two genera, according to Scoble et al)
Numbers
more than 100 species in North America, listed under
Itame and
Semiothisa at (
nearctica.com)
42 species in Canada (
CBIF)
Size
wingspan 18-35 mm (except in flightless females that have greatly reduced wings)
Identification
adults of most species have light gray or brown wings (a few are yellow or white) usually with dark markings along the costa, and a dark discal spot in a number of species; some species are unmarked, but many have lines and speckling that ranges from dark and heavy to pale and indistinct - the range of variation in pattern and color makes the genus difficult to describe in general terms
Range
represented throughout North America
Habitat
coniferous, mixed, or deciduous forests, plantations, parklands, and woodlots
Season
adults usually fly from May to September
Food
larvae of many species feed on leaves of coniferous trees; some species feed on broad-leaved trees or shrubs, and a few on herbaceous plants
Life Cycle
one generation per year, occasionally two
See Also
Many common species are listed under Itame and Semiothisa in older publications.
Print References
Scoble, Malcolm J. (Ed) 1999.
Geometrid Moths of the World. A Catalogue. NHM Publishing, London. 1312 pp.
Internet References
pinned adult images of all 42 species in Canada (CBIF)
name change examples (Dalton State College, Georgia)
Contributed by
Robin McLeod on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm
Last updated 28 January, 2006 - 6:46pm
