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Species Melanolophia signataria - Signate Melanolophia - Hodges#6621

Signate Melanolophia - Melanolophia signataria - male Moth - Melanolophia signataria Moth ID help... - Melanolophia signataria Melanolophia signataria - female Moth - Melanolophia signataria Melanolophia signataria Melanolophia canadaria - Melanolophia signataria Moth - Melanolophia signataria
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 Melanolophiini
Genus Melanolophia
Species signataria (Signate Melanolophia - Hodges#6621)
Hodges Number
6621
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Melanolophia signataria (Walker, 1860)
Phylogenetic sequence #195700
Size
Wingspan 30-35 mm (1)
Identification
Pale gray to brown wings, with more sinuous (as opposed to denticulate) PM line; less mottled than Canadian Melanolophia (1)


M. signataria has asymmetrical valvae, the long process is visible in males when the scales are brushed off the tail. (circled in blue)
Range
Nova Scotia to Florida, west to Saskatchewan and east Texas. (1)
Season
Adults fly March-August (1)
Food
Larvae feed on leaves of a wide variety of trees, including alder, elm, birch, fir, larch, maple, oak, poplar and spruce. (2)
See Also
Melanolophia canadaria is extremely similar, but usually has more dark mottling in the wings, and usually has a noticeably denticulate PM line as opposed to the typically more sinuous (somewhat "straighter") PM line of signataria. Poorly marked or heavily mottled specimens can be very difficult to distinguish.
Print References
Covell, p. 355, Plate 52 #2. (1)
Internet References
Moth Photographers Group – images of live and pinned adults (3)
BOLD Systems - images of pinned DNA supported specimens (4)
Wikipedia - brief description & image (2)
adult images (Larry Line, Maryland)