Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Itame pustularia
Macaria pustularia
Explanation of Names
PUSTULARIA: from the Latin "pustulare" (to blister); the third orangish-yellow marking along the forewing costa [representing the top of the PM line] is reminiscent of a pustule that has broken and leaked a trail of pus down the wing - not a very nice mental image, but a good way to remember this species
Numbers
may be locally abundant; numbers may vary considerably from year to year
Size
wingspan 18-27 mm
fullgrown larva average length 20 mm
Identification
Adult: forewing pure white with sharp orangish-yellow to brown markings (heaviest as tops of four lines at costa); PM line usually most complete line, and continues onto hindwing; in some individuals, only the markings along the forewing costa are visible
[adapted from description by Charles Covell]
labial palps beak-like, projecting forward beyond eyes
Larva: head green; body green with contrasting narrow white, cream, or yellowish lines
Range
Nova Scotia to Florida, west to Mississippi, north to North Dakota and Saskatchewan (but apparently missing from Manitoba)
Habitat
deciduous and mixed woods; adults are nocturnal and attracted to light
Season
adults fly from May to July in the south; June to August in the north (Quebec)
larvae in May and June
Food
larvae feed mainly on leaves of maple (especially Red Maple [Acer rubrum]) but have also been recorded on birch, cherry, poplar, fir (Abies spp.), hemlock (Tsuga spp.), and tamarack
Life Cycle
one generation per year; overwinters as an egg; gray or pink eggs are laid singly on branches and trunk of host trees; larvae hatch in May and early June; pupation begins in late June or early July and usually lasts about 10 days
[adapted from text at Canadian Forest Service]
Remarks
Many former species of
Itame and
Semiothisa were transferred to the genus
Macaria in Malcolm Scoble's catalog, Geometrid Moths of the World (1999) - see
genus pageSee Also
No other pure white moth has four orangish-yellow markings along the forewing costa.
Internet References
live adult images (Larry Line, Maryland)
live adult image (Charles Lewallen, Oklahoma)
live adult images (Lynn Scott, Ontario)
live adult images and comments on abundance (John Himmelman, Connecticut)
pinned adult image plus description, distribution, food plant (Gerald Fauske, Moths of North Dakota)
food plants; PDF doc plus flight season and life cycle (Macrolepidoptera of Mont Saint-Hilaire Region, McGill U., Quebec)
overview of biology plus description, damage, control methods (Canadian Forest Service)
distribution in Canada list of provinces (CBIF)
