Spring Cankerworm Moth - Hodges#6662
Paleacrita vernata
This record describes Paleacrita vernata (species). Recorded family: Geometridae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Identification notes
Genitalia: ♂
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Geometroidea
- Family
- Geometridae (Geometrid Moths)
- Subfamily
- Ennominae
- Tribe
- Bistonini
- Genus
- Paleacrita
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Nova Scotia into Saskatchewan, Maine to Tennessee and North Carolina in the mountains. It is found in the central United States from Michigan to North Dakota, south to Mississippi, Louisiana, and eastern Texas. It is known from Colorado, and there is one record from Siskiyou County, California
Seasonal Activity
Adults fly from February to late May.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larval hosts are a wide variety of broadleaf trees and shrubs, to include maple, elm, birch and plum
Life History
Wingless females lay batches up to 250 eggs under loose bark or in crevices. Early instar larvae disperse by ballooning on silken threads. Full grown larvae drop from the host and pupate in the soil without making a silken cocoon. Winter is passed as pupa
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: VERNATA - From Latin vern meaning "the spring'
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Paleacrita vernata. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Spring Cankerworm Moth - Hodges#6662 (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by Tony DiTerlizzi; Additional contributions by cotinis , Maury Heiman , Robert Lord Zimlich , Randy Hardy , Robert H. Biagi
Frequently Asked Questions About Spring Cankerworm Moth - Hodges#6662
How big is Spring Cankerworm Moth - Hodges#6662?
Male forewing length 11-18 mm., females wingless.
How do you identify Spring Cankerworm Moth - Hodges#6662?
Genitalia: ♂
Where is Spring Cankerworm Moth - Hodges#6662 found?
Range: Nova Scotia into Saskatchewan, Maine to Tennessee and North Carolina in the mountains. It is found in the central United States from Michigan to North Dakota, south to Mississippi, Louisiana, and eastern Texas. It is known from Colorado, and there is one record from Siskiyou County, California
What does Spring Cankerworm Moth - Hodges#6662 eat?
The diet of the Spring Cankerworm Moth - Hodges#6662 includes Larval hosts are a wide variety of broadleaf trees and shrubs, to include maple, elm, birch and plum.
When is Spring Cankerworm Moth - Hodges#6662 active?
Spring Cankerworm Moth - Hodges#6662: seasonal activity - Adults fly from February to late May..
What is the life cycle of a Spring Cankerworm Moth - Hodges#6662?
Wingless females lay batches up to 250 eggs under loose bark or in crevices. Early instar larvae disperse by ballooning on silken threads. Full grown larvae drop from the host and pupate in the soil without making a silken cocoon. Winter is passed as pupa