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Species Eulithis explanata - White Eulithis - Hodges#7206

White Eulithis - Eulithis explanata Moth ID? - Eulithis explanata White Eulithis - Eulithis explanata Unidentified Moth-20150715 - Eulithis explanata 7206 White Eulithis - Eulithis explanata Eulithis sp. - Eulithis explanata 7210 Black-banded Carpet (Eulithis semiatrata)? - Eulithis explanata Eulithis - Eulithis explanata
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 Larentiinae
Tribe Hydriomenini
Genus Eulithis
Species explanata (White Eulithis - Hodges#7206)
Hodges Number
7206
Numbers
locally common
Size
wingspan 28-35 mm
Identification
Adult: forewing white with dark gray basal, median, and terminal shading, heaviest just below apex; shading in median area may be broken into upper and lower patches by variably wide white band crossing median area; AM and PM lines obscure, scalloped; ST line white, zigzag; discal spot black; hindwing white with gray shading and traces of lines, heaviest toward anal angle
[description by Charles Covell]
Range
Newfoundland south in mountains to North Carolina, west to Colorado, north to Alberta
Habitat
bogs and shrubby areas where foodplant grows; adults are nocturnal and attracted to light
Season
adults fly from June to September
Food
larvae feed on leaves of blueberry (Vaccinium spp.)
Life Cycle
one generation per year
See Also
Eustroma semiatrata forewing is similar but shading in median area is more extensive and not broken into patches, and ST line is less conspicuous (compare images of both species at CBIF)
As of 12/2/2015, the BOLD page for this species contains two BIN clusters which in turn contain specimens identified as others species. These species may not be separable without DNA or dissection:
BOLD:AAA2493: E. serrataria, E. xylina, E. explanata, Antepirrhoe semiatrata - This BIN appears to be of E. xylina. Examples of E. explanata and Antepirrhoe semiatrata appear to be misidentification. Examples of E. serrataria are grouped together in their own branch of the taxon tree.

Antepirrhoe semiatrata - Black-banded Carpet (Abdomen lacks pairs of dark triangles)
Internet References
foodplant; PDF doc plus flight season and life cycle (Macrolepidoptera of Mont Saint-Hilaire Region, McGill U., Quebec)
presence in Colorado; list (U. of Colorado)
presence in North Carolina; PDF doc list (Southern Lepidopterists Society)
distribution in Canada list of provinces (CBIF)