Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Nacophora quernaria; treated as a junior synonym of
Phaeoura quernaria by Parsons
et al in Malcolm Scoble's
Geometrid Moths of the World, 1999
Size
Wingspan 37-56 mm; female larger
Identification
Adult: wings powdery light to dark olive brown, with variable white patch at forewing apex, and white edging along black AM and PM lines, at least to costa; female with much broader white areas; blackish melanics common
[adapted from description by Charles Covell
(1)]
Larva: body thickened and robust (short and stout for a geometrid) mottled with browns and grays; head flat, sloping inward; vertex cleft; each spot on head made of 10 to 20 speckles; thorax swollen and humped, darkened above; dorsal paired raised warts on second and eighth abdominal segments, and ventral warts on third; subventral fringe of thickened setae between abdominal and anal prolegs
[adapted from description by David Wagner and Valerie Giles]
Range
southern Canada and United States east of the Rockies (Nova Scotia to Florida, west to Texas, north to Alberta)
Habitat
Deciduous forests; adults are nocturnal and come to light
Season
adults fly from March to October in the south; shortened season in the north
larvae present from June to October; earlier in the south
Food
Larvae feed on leaves of a variety of deciduous trees: basswood, birch, cherry, elm, hawthorn, oak, poplar, willow
Life Cycle
Two broods in south, one in north; overwinters as a pupa
See Also
Pepper and Salt Geometer (
Biston betularia) forewing lacks pale patches along costa
Melanistic individuals resemble a
Zale species (family Erebidae)
Print References
Covell, p. 364, plate 54 #2
(1)
Internet References
John Himmelman, Connecticut--live normal and melanistic adult forms.
pinned adult images showing light and dark forms (CBIF)
pinned adult image plus technical description, similar species, distribution, food plants (Gerald Fauske, Moths of North Dakota)
description of adult and larva plus similar species, distribution, food plants (Strickland Entomological Museum, U. of Alberta)
Caterpillars of Eastern Forests live larva image plus description, seasonality, generations (David Wagner and Valerie Giles; USGS)
Insects of Cedar Creek, Minnesota flight season, habitat, food plants
synonym and type species/specimens (Brian Pitkin, Butterflies and Moths of the World)
Contributed by
Cotinis on 30 June, 2004 - 9:56pm
Additional contributions by
Robin McLeodLast updated 22 November, 2007 - 3:41pm
