Moths of North Carolina
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Macaria Members:
442 NC Records

Macaria pustularia (Guenée, [1858]) - Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Geometroidea Family: GeometridaeSubfamily: EnnominaeTribe: MacariiniP3 Number: 91a0737 MONA Number: 6273.00 MONA Synonym: Speranza pustularia
Comments: This is one of 73 species in this genus that occur in North America, with 17 species occurring in North Carolina. In the latest checklist of North American Lepidoptera (Pohl and Nanz, 2023), North American members of the genus Speranza and Epelis were treated as junior synonyms of Macaria.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984; as Itame pustularia); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1948); Ferguson (2008)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1948); Wagner et al. (2001); Wagner, 2005; Ferguson (2008)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Macaria pustularia is a medium-sized, glossy white geometrid. Like other members of the Macarini, but unlike all other white geometrids in our area, its forewings are subfalcate and the hindwing somewhat pointed (Forbes, 1948). Usually, the wings are crossed by three well-defined, reddish-brown transverse lines, although they are obscure in some specimens or marked only at the costa. There may also be a band of dare speckles in the subterminal area and a terminal series of dark spots or dashes.
Adult Structural Features: Males have pectinate antennae and are foveate. Females also show a slightly developed fovea.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae are blue-green (Forbes, 1948) or occasionally wine red (Wagner et al., 2001). A fairly broad pale subdorsal stripe runs along the length of the body and there is also a somewhat darkened dorsal line that is bounded by narrow pale stripes (Wagner et al., 2002).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Found statewide, from the Barrier Island to 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)

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