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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Geometrid and Swallowtail Moths (Geometroidea) » Geometrid Moths (Geometridae) » Ennominae » Macariini » Macaria » Speranza varadaria - Hodges#6314 (Macaria varadaria)

Species Macaria varadaria - Speranza varadaria - Hodges#6314

Classification · Hodges Number · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Remarks · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Moth 3 - Macaria varadaria - male geometrid - Macaria varadaria - male Speranza varadaria - Macaria varadaria - male Speranza varadaria - Macaria varadaria - male Speranza varadaria - Macaria varadaria - male Unknown moth - Macaria varadaria - male Macaria varadaria - male unknown moth - Macaria varadaria
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 varadaria (Speranza varadaria - Hodges#6314)
Hodges Number
6314
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Speranza was moved from tribe Semiothisini to Macariini by Ferguson (2008)(1) (p. 49)
Macaria varadaria
Macaria inaptata Walker 1861
Aspilates abbreviata Walker 1862
Numbers
50 species in the genus for North America north of Mexico(1)
Size
wing length in males is 9-12 mm and the females average slightly larger at 11-13 mm.(1)
Identification
forewing with the apex being slightly pointed and are yellow-brown to gray-brown; the bold postmedial band is nearly straight or slightly concave and has strong dark shading below that fades away to a lighter reddish-brown color towards the outer margin(1)
Range
South Carolina south to Florida and west to the central Texas coast.
Habitat
mainly a coastal species where the host plant thrives(1)
Season
adults fly year round in Florida, March to December in Texas and March to October in the remaining areas of the range(1)
Food
larval host plant isBaccharis halimifolia (groundseltree)
usda.gov - host plant information
Remarks
The shrub Baccharis halimifolia (groundseltree) from eastern North America was introduced to Australia and has become a serious problem weed there. This moth has been introduced to Australia to hopefully help control the shrub.(1)
Print References
Ferguson, Douglas C., The Moths of North America, Fascicle 17.2, Geometroidea, Geometridae, Ennominae (part: Abaxini, Cassymini, Macariini) 2008 p. 72-75, pl. 1.58-61(1)
Internet References
Moth Photographers Group - species page with photographs of living and pinned adults.
Moth Photographers Group - photographs of pinned adult and related species for comparison.
BOLD - species account with photographs of pinned adults and DNA sequence *(listed as Macaria varadaria)
Works Cited
1.The Moths of America North of Mexico, Fascicle 17.2, Geometroidea, Geometridae, Ennominae.
Douglas C. Ferguson . 2008. The Wedge Entomological Research Foundation.
Contributed by Eric R. Eaton on 6 January, 2009 - 2:38pm
Additional contributions by Chuck Entz, Maury Heiman, ceiseman
Last updated 18 January, 2011 - 11:12am

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