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Species Macaria truncataria - Black-banded Orange - Hodges#6321

Representative Images

Black Banded Orange - Macaria truncataria - male Moth in the bog - Macaria truncataria Black banded orange moth - Macaria truncataria Moth on Tunk Mtn - Macaria truncataria - male Lepidoptera - Macaria truncataria - female orange and brown - Macaria truncataria - male Black-banded Orange Moth - Macaria truncataria Black-banded Orange Moth - Macaria truncataria
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 Macariini
Genus Macaria
Species truncataria (Black-banded Orange - Hodges#6321)

Hodges Number

6321

Other Common Names

Variegated Orange Moth

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Macaria truncataria (Walker, 1862)
Fidonia truncataria Walker, 1862

Explanation of Names

Macaria truncataria (Walker, 1862), was formerly in the genus Epelis, new generic synonymy in Sihvonen & Skou (2015)(1).

Numbers

Epelis truncataria is the only member of the genus in America north of Mexico.

Size

wingspan 12-20 mm. (2)

Identification

The bold black and orange bands across the forewing and hindwing are unique.
The original description as Fidonia truncataria Walker, is available online in the print references below.
Dark form:

Range

a northern species ranging from Alaska to Newfoundland, south in the east to Connecticut, and south in the west to Colorado

Habitat

open coniferous woods and northern peat bogs

Season

Adults are most common from April to August based on Moth Photographers Group records.

Food

larvae feed on Bearberry and Leather-leaf. (2)

Life Cycle

eggs laid in summer on underside of leaf of hostplant, hatching in one or two weeks; larvae feed for about 40 days before pupating for the winter

Remarks

Adults fly during the day and are not known to be active at night.
Generally uncommon and local in the southern parts of its range; common and widespread across the boreal forests of Canada and Alaska.
The genus Epelis was included in Macaria in 1999 by Parsons et al in Malcolm Scoble's catalog.

See Also

Cranberry Spanworm Moth - Ematurga amitaria

Print References

Walker, 1862. List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum. 24 : 1034.

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group
pinned adult image plus description, distribution, biology, and common name reference [Black-banded Orange] (G.G. Anweiler, U. of Alberta)
Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD)
pinned adult image (CBIF)
distribution in Canada includes every province and territory (CBIF)

Works Cited

1.Ennominae I. In: A. Hausmann (ed.): The Geometrid Moths of Europe, 5
Sihvonen, P. & P. Skou. 2015. Brill.
2.Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America
David Beadle and Seabrooke Leckie. 2012. Houghton Mifflin.
Contributed by Robin McLeod on 21 May, 2005 - 7:52pm
Additional contributions by Steve Nanz, Maury Heiman, ceiseman, marcie oconnor, Robert H. Biagi
Last updated 23 December, 2023 - 5:35am

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