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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Owlet Moths and kin (Noctuoidea) » Prominent Moths (Notodontidae) » Heterocampinae » Heterocampa » Heterocampa pulverea - Hodges#7990.1 (Heterocampa pulverea)

Species Heterocampa pulverea - Hodges#7990.1

Classification · Hodges Number · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Life Cycle · See Also · Internet References · Works Cited
Beautiful - Heterocampa pulverea Heterocampa umbrata - Heterocampa pulverea White-blotched Heterocampa - Heterocampa pulverea Unknown Notodontid 3 - Heterocampa pulverea Mystery caterpillar, a gift from my cat--still alive, - Heterocampa pulverea Heterocampa umbrata - White-blotched Heterocampa - Heterocampa pulverea Heterocampa umbrata? - Heterocampa pulverea Heterocampa umbrata - Heterocampa pulverea
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 Noctuoidea (Owlet Moths and kin)
Family Notodontidae (Prominent Moths)
Subfamily Heterocampinae
Genus Heterocampa
Species pulverea (Heterocampa pulverea - Hodges#7990.1)
Hodges Number
7990.1
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Heterocampa pulverea Grote & Robinson, 1867
Heterocampa ab. nigra Chermock, 1927
Explanation of Names
Heterocampa pulverea Grote & Robinson, 1867, revised status in Miller et al. (2021) (1), was formerly treated as a subspecies of Heterocampa umbrata Walker, 1855 in the 1983 Hodges Checklist.
Size
Forewing length = 21.0 - 29.5 mm.(1)
Identification
Larger, mottled grayish, brown, green, with dark lines, white blotch near apex of forewing (2).


Prothorax with pair of raised, shiny reddish knobs to either side of white mid-dorsal patch. (3)

Compare to H. biundata with head dull red-pink to red-purple, produced upward with dark knob to either die of midline. (3)
Range
Eastern US and Canada. Absent south of the Florida Panhandle.
Type locality (pulverea): New York, Pennsylvania.
Type locality (ab. nigra): [Pittsburgh, PA].
Habitat
Oak forests.
Season
The main flight period appears to be March to October; longer flight in southern states.
Mature larvae reported May to November. (3) (umbrata north of FL in reference = pulverea)
Life Cycle
The larvae feed on oaks (Quercus). Two generations per year in much of range.
See Also
Heterocampa umbrata is found in FL and southeastern GA. Forewing lines tend to be broken and poorly defined. Best separated by genitalia.(1)
Internet References
Moth Photographers Group (MPG) (4)
Works Cited
1.Noctuoidea, Notodontidae (Part 2, Conclusion): Heterocampinae, Nystaleinae, Dioptinae, Dicranurinae
Miller, J.S., D.L. Wagner, P.A. Opler & J.D. Lafontaine. 2021. The Moths of America north of Mexico, Fascicle 22.1B: 1-443.
2.Peterson Field Guides: Eastern Moths
Charles V. Covell. 1984. Houghton Mifflin Company.
3.Caterpillars of Eastern North America
David L. Wagner. 2005. Princeton University Press.
4.North American Moth Photographers Group
Contributed by Steve Nanz on 8 March, 2022 - 5:29am
Additional contributions by Steve Morris
Last updated 25 June, 2022 - 9:20am

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