Moths of North Carolina
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Alsophila Members:
149 NC Records

Alsophila pometaria (Harris, 1841) - Fall Cankerworm Moth

Alsophila pometariaAlsophila pometaria
view caption 		Alsophila pometariaAlsophila pometaria
Taxonomy
Superfamily: Geometroidea Family: GeometridaeSubfamily: AlsophilinaeP3 Number: 91a1128 MONA Number: 6258.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Wingspan: 2.6 - 3.2 cm, females wingless (Covell, 1984)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Possibly statewide, with the exception of the high mountains.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Immature Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Flight Comments: Among the most common species in the winter, with nearly all of our records coming between December and February. Probably under-reported due to the lack of winter sampling.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are broadly polyphagous on woody trees and shrubs. Wagner (2005) specifically lists apple, basswood, blueberry, cherry (Prunus spp.), elm, maple, and oak. Heppner (2007) adds ash, beech, birch, chestnut, hackberry, hawthorn, hop-hornbeam, walnut, and willow. In North Carolina, we have recorded larvae feeding on Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra), Black Cherry (Prunus serotina), and Boxelder (Acer negundo) but the species probably uses many other hosts in our state. - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Forests and Shrublands
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 S5
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: The early flight dates probably mean that the species is undersampled in our state.

 Photo Gallery for Alsophila pometaria - Fall Cankerworm Moth

134 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-04-15
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-04-06
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2024-04-04
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2024-04-04
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Chuck Smith on 2024-02-03
Davidson Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2024-02-01
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2024-01-31
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-01-25
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-01-24
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-01-15
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-01-09
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2024-01-04
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2023-04-12
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George on 2023-04-11
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2023-04-09
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2023-03-22
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2023-03-22
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2023-02-26
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: R. Newman on 2023-02-15
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2023-01-17
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2023-01-11
Cumberland Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2023-01-05
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2023-01-03
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2023-01-02
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George on 2022-12-30
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn on 2022-12-30
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-12-30
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2022-01-25
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-01-25
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-01-19
Wake Co.
Comment: