Other Common Names
Dusky Peacock (adult and larva in Eurasia)
Spruce Fir Looper (larva)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Macaria signaria (Hübner, [1809])
Geometra signaria Hübner, [1809]
Semiothisa fraserata Ferguson, 1974
Semiothisa marmorata Ferguson, 1972
Macaria submarmorata Walker, 1861
Melanolophia unipunctaria Wright, 1916
Macaria unipunctaria
Size
Wingspan 20-30 mm
Larva length to about 25 mm
Identification
Adult: head pale with thin dark collar; forewing pale brownish-gray with large dark blotch (composed of 4 separate pieces in well-marked individuals) near middle of PM line; AM, median, and PM lines scalloped or wavy, dark, and usually distinct, especially at costa; darkly-marked specimens have broad whitish arc (sometimes faint) in subterminal area that touches anal angle at one end, and touches outer margin near apex at other end; small pale patch usually present along outer margin halfway between ends of whitish arc; hindwing has similar ground color but has few (and faint) markings other than a tiny dark discal dot; shallow point midway along outer margin.
Larva: head yellowish-green with darker herringbone pattern; body light to medium green with gray and white lines along back and sides
Range
Across southern Canada (Newfoundland to British Columbia) and northern United States, south in the west to central California and Colorado.
Holarctic: also occurs throughout northern Eurasia.
Habitat
Coniferous and mixed-wood forests and bogs; adults are nocturnal and come to light
Season
Adults fly from May to August
Mature larvae present from July to November
Food
Larvae feed on leaves of many species of coniferous trees (fir, hemlock, larch, pine, spruce, and Douglas-fir)
Life Cycle
Usually one generation per year, sometimes two; overwinters as a pupa in soil or debris
Remarks
Records of
M. signaria from
Yukon - PDF doc (1997) are presumably misidentified, as
signaria is not included in the latest (2003) list of
Yukon Geometridae (it is also absent from
Northwest Territories).
This species is missing from geometrid lists from
North Carolina,
South Carolina,
Florida, Texas (
1,
2),
Arizona, and
UtahPrint References
Greg Pohl, Gary Anweiler, Christian Schmidt, Norbert Kondla, "An Annotated list of the Lepidoptera of Alberta, Canada", Zookeys 38 (2010): 498
(1)Internet References
Moth Photographers Group - photos of living and pinned adults
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) - collection map and photos of pinned adults.
pinned adult image plus detailed species account (G.G. Anweiler, U. of Alberta)
