Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGeometridae Members: Macaria Members: 55 NC Records

Macaria varadaria (Walker, 1860) - Southern Angle

Macaria varadariaMacaria varadariaMacaria varadaria
view caption
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Geometroidea		 Family:
Geometridae		Subfamily:
Ennominae		Tribe:
Macariini		P3 Number:
91a0701		 MONA Number:
6314.00		 MONA Synonym:
Speranza varadaria		Other Common Name:
Southern Itame
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. Placed in the Baccharis-feeding Varadaria Species Group by Ferguson (2008), which also includes M. marcescaria and M. imitata, neither of which occurs in our region.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984; as Itame varadaria)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Ferguson (2008)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Ferguson (2008)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A moderately small, brown geometrid, with slightly pointed forewings. The ground color of both sets of wings is yellowish- to grayish-brown, dusted with darker brown (Ferguson, 2008). The antemedian, median, and postmedian are all dark brown, with the postmedian the strongest. The antemedian is convex or bent; the median is straight; and the postmedian is somewhat outwardly convex. The outer side of the postmedian is usually shaded with dark brown or reddish brown that may extend into the subterminal area (Ferguson, 2008). Discal dots are present on all wings, although often faint, which helps distinguish this species from the similar sized and patterned Eumacaria madopata and Digrammias.
Adult Structural Features: Genitalia of both sexes are very similar to those of the other members of the Varadaria Species Group but differ from the other species of Speranza that are known to occur in North Carolina (see Ferguson, 2008). Males have fairly broadly bipectinate antennae and narrow hind tibiae. Females also have bipectinate antennae but with the branches much shorter than in the males (Ferguson, 2008, for Speranza in general).
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae are green with a wide white lateral stripe (see Ferguson, 2008, for an illustration and detailed description).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Restricted to the Outer Coastal Plain
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Macaria varadariaAlamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New%20Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: adults.
Immature Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: immatures.
Flight Comments: We have records for adults from April to October, with no sign of any separate flight periods.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Occurs on barrier islands, where it is probably naturally associated with marshes and other wetland edges. Also occurs further inland in the Coastal Plain in other shrubby habitats, including Long Leaf Pine and Peatland communities. However, in those areas, it may be associated with the growth of Baccharis associated with disturbed roadsides rather than with the natural communities themselves.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are reportedly monophagous, feeding solely on Groundsel-tree (Baccharis halimifolia) (Ferguson, 2008), which was confirmed as a host in North Carolina by J.B. Sullivan. - View
Observation Methods: Comes reasonably well to blacklight traps, although it is usually collected in small numbers in any one sample. None of our records come from bait or flowers.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for Groundsel-tree Thickets
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G4 SNR [S2S4]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: Although this species is monophagous and probably was originally a habitat specialist, its host plant has spread far beyond its original range and in some areas is becoming an aggressive invader (Weakley, 2015). So far, however, the moth has not been recorded in North Carolina more than a few miles from the coast.

 Photo Gallery for Macaria varadaria - Southern Angle

Photos: 9
Macaria varadariaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2024-05-29
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Macaria varadariaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2023-06-20
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Macaria varadariaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2023-06-03
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Macaria varadariaRecorded by: Morgan Freese on 2022-06-08
New Hanover Co.
Comment:
Macaria varadariaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2021-10-01
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Macaria varadariaRecorded by: J.B. Sullivan on 2021-05-18
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Macaria varadariaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2020-10-21
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Macaria varadariaRecorded by: Newman, Randy on 2007-05-19
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Macaria varadariaRecorded by: Newman, Randy on 2007-05-19
Carteret Co.
Comment: