Species Dyspteris abortivaria - The Bad-Wing - Hodges#7648

7648

The Bad Wing

Called "The Bad-Wing" because the small hindwings are difficult to pull into position for pinning. The name of the genus also means bad wing - from the Greek "dys" (bad, difficult) + "pteron" (wing). Even the specific epithet abortivaria doesn't sound good, perhaps suggesting that various attempts or methods of pinning the wings have been aborted.

the only species in this genus in North America

Wingspan 20-28 mm

Adult: completely green, including head, thorax, abdomen, legs, and wings

forewing bluish-green, grayish-green, or bright green; costa with inward curve near apex, giving round-tipped appearance; antemedial (AM) and postmedial (PM) lines faint white, fairly straight, fading just before reaching costa; small white discal spot near middle of wing; hindwing similar color to forewing but much smaller (less than half the size of forewing)

eastern North America (Quebec to Florida, west to Texas, north to Manitoba)

Near edges, woodlands, with hostplants.

Adults fly from mid-April to August.

Larvae feed on grape (Vitis spp.) and Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus spp.)

Adults likely do not feed.

two generations per year

other green geometrids (in the subfamily Geometrinae) do not have such a pronounced curve in the tip of the forewing, and they usually have some yellowish or brown color on the head and/or abdomen, rather than being completely green

Covell, p. 389, plate 49 #2 (1)

Moth Photographers Group - range map, photos of living and pinned adults

Larry Line (adult images and other info; Maryland)

Moths of North Carolina

BOLD Systems