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National Moth Week was July 19-27, and the Summer 2025 gathering in Louisiana, July 19-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2024

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Species Synchlora frondaria - Southern Emerald Moth - Hodges#7059

Southern Emerald Moth Synchlora frondaria - Synchlora frondaria

Southern Emerald Moth - Synchlora frondaria

Synchlora sp - Synchlora frondaria - male

Synchlora frondaria ? - Synchlora frondaria - male

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 Geometrinae (Emeralds)

Tribe Synchlorini

Genus Synchlora

Species frondaria (Southern Emerald Moth - Hodges#7059)

Hodges Number

7059

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Synchlora frondaria Guenée, [1858](1)

Geometra frondaria

Aplodes frondaria

Phylogenetic sequence # 207425

Numbers

There are twelve named species of Synchlora in America north of Mexico. (2),(1)

Size

Wingspan about 15 mm. (1)

Identification

Larva - A variable twig mimic. Larvae take on the colors of their host plant and employ decorative crypsis by attaching plant material to themselves. (3)

Larval abdomen tip, with hooks:

Range

Southern USA; Central and South America; Greater & Lesser Antilles.

Moth Photographers Group - large map with some distribution data.

Food

Larval foodplants include sunflower, Bidens, Rudbeckia sp., and others.

Life Cycle

Larva; Larva; Larva; Cocoon; Cocoon; Cocoon; Adult Female; Adult Male:

Print References

Ferguson, D.C. 1969. A revision of the moths of the subfamily Geometrinae of America north of Mexico (Insecta, Lepidoptera). Peabody Museum Nat. Hist. Bulletin 29:154-155

Ferguson, D.C. 1985. The Moths of America North of Mexico Fascicle 18.1. Geometroidea, Geometridae (Part), Geometrinae. p.85. pl.3.67-72 (1)

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group

Dallas County Lepidopterists' Society

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD)

Works Cited

1.	The Moths of America North of Mexico Fascicle 18.1. Geometroidea, Geometridae (Part), Geometrinae Douglas C. Ferguson . 1985. The Wedge Entomological Research Foundation.

2.	North American Moth Photographers Group

3.	The double cloak of invisibility: phenotypic plasticity and larval decoration in a geometrid moth, ... M. R. Canfield, S. Chang, N. E. Pierce . 2009. Ecological Entomology 34: 412–414 .

Contributed by Lynette Elliott on 21 June, 2005 - 6:32pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Chuck Entz, Maury Heiman, Randy Hardy, Robert H. Biagi
Last updated 25 November, 2020 - 8:33am

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