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Species Hypagyrtis unipunctata - One-spotted Variant - Hodges#6654
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 Bistonini
Genus Hypagyrtis
Species unipunctata (One-spotted Variant - Hodges#6654)
Other Common Names adult called 'White Spot' in Europe ( UK Moths) Synonyms and other taxonomic changes Hypagyrtis unipunctata (Haworth)
Orig. Comb: Phalaena unipunctata Haworth, 1809 Identification Highly variable, see images at MPG
Adult: note scalloped hindwing; extremely variable sexually, seasonally, and geographically; both sexes yellowish-tan to orangish, mottled with white, brown, and blackish; lines and discal spots on all wings black; forewing has pale subterminal spot near costa; colors in spring specimens contrast more than in summer brood; females usually larger with more deeply-scalloped hindwing; melanics commonly occur but paler spot still visible near forewing apex [description by Charles Covell]
Larva: body cylindrical, mottled in grays and reddish-brown with faint longitudinal streaking, lacking conspicuous warts, humps, or other distinctive characters; ventral side of third thoracic segment modestly thickened; often with small pale lateral spots on first abdominal segment just above and behind spiracle; head mottled, with markings coalescing into darker area above triangle; dorsum of eighth segment sometimes with pale spots; last abdominal segment with lateral anal spurs (paraprocts) little more than nubs [description by David Wagner and Valerie Giles]
Genitalia:
Range e. N. Amer. to BC and WA - Map (MPG)
also occurs in Eurasia Habitat deciduous and mixed woods; adults are nocturnal and attracted to light Season adults fly from April to September; June and July in the north (Alberta)
larvae may be present at any time of year. Golden crowned kinglets feed on caterpillars in the middle of winter in Maine (Heinrich, Bernd. Winter World) Food larvae feed on leaves of alder, apple, ash, basswood, birch, cherry, dogwood, elm, fir, hazel, hickory, maple, oak, pine, poplar, rose, serviceberry, willow Life Cycle one or two generations per year; overwinters as a larva
early instar larva; larva; mature larva; adult
Remarks larvae overwinter exposed on tree bark and branches, and are important food sources for wintering insectivorous birds in the east See Also Hypagyrtis esther ( Esther Moth) is similar but usually has darker wings that are evenly violet-gray and not mottled
Hypagyrtis piniata (Pine Measuringworm Moth) lacks orangish-brown shading in the subterminal area, and has a white irregular inconspicuous spot near the forewing costa ( Compare images of both species)
Distinction between unipunctata and esther by external appearances not reliable. See Bob Belmont's Variant Page at MPG. Internet References live adult images (Darryl Searcy, Alabama)
overview including habitat, seasonality, description, biology, food plants, distribution (Strickland Entomological Museum, U. of Alberta)
live larva image plus pinned adult image and same info as in link below (Pedro Barbosa, U. of Maryland)
live larva image plus description, food plants, biology (David Wagner and Valerie Giles, Caterpillars of Eastern Forests; USGS)
common name reference [One-spotted Variant] (NHIC; Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources)
common name reference [White Spot] (Checklist of UK Macro Moths)
food plants; PDF doc plus flight season and life cycle (Macrolepidoptera of Mont Saint-Hilaire Region, McGill U., Quebec)
distribution in Canada list of provinces (CBIF)
synonyms and references (Markku Savela, FUNET) Contributed by Robin McLeod on 13 February, 2005 - 10:28pm Additional contributions by Mike Boone, cotinis, Beatriz Moisset, Tony-2, Mike Quinn, Jason D. Roberts, Maury Heiman, marcie oconnor, Blocky, Robert H. Biagi, Steve MorrisLast updated 30 August, 2023 - 9:23am |
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