Antepione thisoaria
Encyclopedia
The Variable Antepione (Antepione thisoaria) is a moth
of the Geometridae family. In Canada
it is found from Nova Scotia
to Manitoba
, south into the United States
south and west to the Gulf states (including Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia), as well as Michoacan in Mexico
and further south to Costa Rica
and Guatemala
.
The wingspan
is 27-40 mm. Adult seasonally and sexually dimorphic, but the middle of the outer margin of the hindwing and forewing are conspicuously pointed in all forms, and there is usually a dark triangular patch along the costa near the apex of the forewing (although this may be absent in females). The spring brood of both sexes has mottled light brown wings (form "furciferata"). The summer brood male is bright yellow with reddish-brown shading, while the female is all yellow. Adults are on wing from April to May with an occasional mid March and mid June record as well as from July to August with occasional September to mid October records. There is one generation in Canada, and at least two southward.
The larvae have been recorded on Aceraceae
, Anacardiaceae
, Betulaceae
, Ebenaceae
and Rosaceae
species, including Alnus rugosa, Physocarpus opulifolius
and Prunus serotina.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Geometridae family. In Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
it is found from Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
to Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, south into the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
south and west to the Gulf states (including Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia), as well as Michoacan in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and further south to Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
and Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 27-40 mm. Adult seasonally and sexually dimorphic, but the middle of the outer margin of the hindwing and forewing are conspicuously pointed in all forms, and there is usually a dark triangular patch along the costa near the apex of the forewing (although this may be absent in females). The spring brood of both sexes has mottled light brown wings (form "furciferata"). The summer brood male is bright yellow with reddish-brown shading, while the female is all yellow. Adults are on wing from April to May with an occasional mid March and mid June record as well as from July to August with occasional September to mid October records. There is one generation in Canada, and at least two southward.
The larvae have been recorded on Aceraceae
Aceraceae
Aceraceae is a family of flowering plants also called the Maple Family. It contains two to four genera, depending upon the circumscription, of some 120 species of trees and shrubs. A common characteristic is that the leaves are opposite, and the fruit a schizocarp.The maples have long been known...
, Anacardiaceae
Anacardiaceae
Anacardiaceae are a family of flowering plants bearing fruits that are drupes and in some cases producing urushiol, an irritant. Anacardiaceae include numerous genera with several of economic importance. Notable plants in this family include cashew , mango, poison ivy, sumac, smoke tree, and marula...
, Betulaceae
Betulaceae
Betulaceae, or the Birch Family, includes six genera of deciduous nut-bearing trees and shrubs, including the birches, alders, hazels, hornbeams and hop-hornbeams, numbering about 130 species...
, Ebenaceae
Ebenaceae
The Ebenaceae are a family of flowering plants, which includes ebony and persimmon. The family has approximately 500 species of trees and shrubs in two genera, Diospyros and Euclea. The species are mostly evergreen and native to the tropics and subtropics, with a few deciduous species native to...
and Rosaceae
Rosaceae
Rosaceae are a medium-sized family of flowering plants, including about 2830 species in 95 genera. The name is derived from the type genus Rosa. Among the largest genera are Alchemilla , Sorbus , Crataegus , Cotoneaster , and Rubus...
species, including Alnus rugosa, Physocarpus opulifolius
Physocarpus opulifolius
Physocarpus opulifolius, commonly called common ninebark or Atlantic ninebark, is a plant in the rose family, Rosaceae.-Description:...
and Prunus serotina.