Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar

TaxonomyBrowse
Info
ImagesLinksBooksData

Species Orthonama obstipata - The Gem - Hodges#7414

The Gem  - Orthonama obstipata - female The Gem - Hodges#7414 - Orthonama obstipata - female Brown moth with white dot on each wing - Orthonama obstipata The Gem - Orthonama obstipata - female Geometridae, The Gem - Orthonama obstipata The Gem - Orthonama obstipata The Gem - Orthonama obstipata - male MOTH2 - Orthonama obstipata - 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 Larentiinae
Tribe Xanthorhoini
Genus Orthonama
Species obstipata (The Gem - Hodges#7414)
Hodges Number
7414
Other Common Names
Gem Moth
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Orthonama obstipata (Fabricius, 1794)
Heppner (2003) listed many of synonyms (due to world-wide range). (1)
Numbers
There are two species of the genus Orthonama in America north of Mexico. (2), (3)
Size
Wingspan 15-22 mm.
Identification
Adult is sexually dimorphic:
Female forewing is dark brown/maroon with a small white ring near the middle of the disc;
Male forewing is light brown/yellowish with a black spot in place of the female's white ring;
Both sexes have oblique blackish dash at apex of forewing (which distinguishes The Gem from the Bent-line Carpet)


          female                          male
Range
Orthonama obstipata occurs in most of North America, and is found worldwide. Populations die out in colder temperate areas over the winter, but these areas are recolonized frequently from warmer areas (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12)
Season
This species flies practically throughout the year on Block Island, RI, and is common on wing throughout the warm months.(13)
Food
The larvae feed on a variety of herbaceous plants, such as Chrysanthemum, Dock (Rumex), Dandelion, Knotweed (Polygonum), Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea)
Life Cycle
Larvae; adult male
Remarks
A strong flier, this species is known to cross long distances of open sea.
See Also
Bent-line Carpet (Costaconvexa centrostrigaria) lacks an oblique blackish dash at apex of forewing.
Print References
Covell, C., 2005. Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America. Virginia Museum of Natural History. p. 385, plate 49. (4)
Powell, J.A. & P.A. Opler, 2009. Moths of Western North America. University of California Press, plate 33, fig. 4; p. 227. (14)