Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Digrammia continuata (Walker, 1862)
Anaitis continuata Walker, 1862
Semiothisa continuata
Phasiane continuata
Anaitis orillata Walker, [1863]
Phasiane orillata
Aspilates strigularia Walker, [1863]
* phylogenetic sequence #188900
Size
Wingspan about 22-24 mm
Larva mature to 29 mm (Comstock & Dammers, 1935).
Pupa 12.5 mm (Comstock & Dammers, 1935).
Range
New Brunswick to Florida, west to California, north to Manitoba. Range information complicated as species forms a complex with
D. excurvata and
D. setonana, adults of which are best separated by dissection.
(1)Season
Adults fly from March to August, later in the far south. Larvae present from June to November.
Food
Larvae feed on white-cedar and red-cedar. Comstock & Dammers found them abundant on ornamental
Guadalupe cypress (
Hesperocyparis guadalupensis) in suburban California and speculated they feed on wild junipers, as well.
Life Cycle
Two generations per year; overwinters as a pupa in soil or debris.
Larva; adult
Remarks
This species forms a complex with
D. excurvata and
D. setonana and adults are
best identified by dissection.
(1)Print References
Comstock, J. A. & C. A. Dammers 1935. Notes on the life histories of three butterflies and three moths from California . Bull. Southern California Acad. Sci. 34(3):
224, pl.64-65 (synonym
Phasiane orillata)
Ferguson, D. C. 2008. Moths of America North of Mexico. Fascicle 17.2: p.261, pl.6.50-52
Powell, J. A. & P. A. Opler 2009. Moths of Western North America. p.205
(1)
Walker, F. 1862. Geometrites. List of the specimens of lepidopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum 25:
1445Internet References
Moth Photographers Group - species page with photographs of living and pinned adults.
live larva image plus common name reference and species account (C.T. Maier
et al, forestpests.org)
