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Species Eusarca confusaria - Confused Eusarca - Hodges#6941

geometer - Eusarca confusaria - male Bioblitz Moth 10: Mating Moths - Eusarca confusaria - male - female Confused Eusarca - Eusarca confusaria Eusarca confusaria Confused Eusarca moth - Eusarca confusaria Eusarca confusaria - male Confused Eusarca Moth (Eusarca confusaria)? - Eusarca confusaria - female Eusarca confusaria - female
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Geometroidea (Geometrid and Swallowtail Moths)
Family Geometridae (Geometrid Moths)
Subfamily Ennominae
Tribe Ourapterygini
Genus Eusarca
Species confusaria (Confused Eusarca - Hodges#6941)
Hodges Number
6941
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Eusarca confusaria Hübner, [1813]
Numbers
one of 16 species in this genus in North America listed at All-Leps; most species occur in the southwestern United States
confusaria is the only species of Eusarca in Canada and the northern states
Size
Wingspan 29-41 mm (1)
Identification
Adult: wings yellowish-tan with variable grayish-brown dusting; some specimens dark brown or gray except along lines and veins; forewing PM line straight, brown, fading out or hooking inward just below apex; tiny black discal dot situated about half-way between AM and PM lines; hindwing with straight PM line and rounded outer margin [adapted from description by Charles Covell (1)]
some individuals have dark spots in subterminal area of forewing, as seen in Janice Stiefel's photo here:

and in this photo by Lynn Scott, but note that in both images, the forewing discal dot is about half-way between the AM and PM lines, not near the AM line as in Juniper Geometer
[compare other similar species in See also section below]
occasionally perches with wings up:
Range
TX-FL-NS-ND (plus a few outer strays) - Map (MPG)
Habitat
meadows, fields
Season
adults fly from April to October (1),(MPG)
Food
larvae feed on forbs, especially Asteraceae (aster, goldenrod, etc.)
Life Cycle
Eggs; larva; adult
See Also
Dark-edged Eusarca (E. fundaria) is usually darker (female has yellow median area), and has a southeastern distribution, not occurring north of Maryland (compare photos of both species by various photographers at MPG)
a number of Eusarca species from the southwestern states are similar (see photos of several species by Bob Belmont at MPG)
Juniper Geometer (Patalene olyzonaria) forewing discal dot situated close to AM line, not about half-way between AM and PM lines (compare images of both species at CBIF)
Curve-toothed Geometer (Eutrapela clemataria) hindwing outer margin is scalloped or wavy, not rounded
Large Maple Spanworm (Prochoerodes lineola) outer margins of wings angular (not rounded) with shallow point near middle
(compare images at CBIF)
Rose Hooktip (Oreta rosea) brown form has wavy or irregular PM line on hindwing, not straight (see photo at CBIF)
species of Oxydia have black patches in upper (not lower) subterminal area of hindwing (see photos by Bob Belmont at MPG)
species of Synaxis and Tetracis have a straight PM line on forewing, not fading out or hooking near costa
Print References
Covell, p.371, plate 56 #6 (1)
Internet References
distribution in Canada list of provinces (CBIF)
Works Cited
1.Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America
Charles V. Covell, Jr. 2005.