Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGeometridae Members: Macaria Members: 66 NC Records

Macaria ulsterata (Pearsall, 1913) - Birch Angle

Macaria ulsterataMacaria ulsterataMacaria ulsterataMacaria ulsterata
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Geometroidea		 Family:
Geometridae		Subfamily:
Ennominae		Tribe:
Macariini		P3 Number:
91a0751		 MONA Number:
6330.00		 MONA Synonym:
Macaria notata		Other Common Name:
American Birch Angle
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. Macaria ulsterata is included in the hardwood-feeding Ulsterata Group (= the Notata Group of Ferguson, 2008), of which M. aemulataria and M. promiscuata are the other members that occur in North Carolina. Ferguson (2008) described the form that occurs in the Southern Appalachians as subspecies appalachiata.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Ferguson (2008)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Wagner et al. (2001); Ferguson (2008)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A pale gray or white species with a yellow to rust-brown head and the usual Macaria pattern of lines, spots, and subapical excavation on the outer margin. Distinguished by its yellow head from the signaria group of conifer feeders, which includes a number of species with similar pale gray and black markings. It lacks the yellowish or brownish tint found in the two other members of the notata group, aemulataria and promiscuata, and has a darker brown subapical mark at the costa, particularly compared to promiscuata, which has a brighter red-brown mark. Macaria bisignata is similar in size and pale grayish coloration, but usually has a more brownish tint or dusting -- particularly in the subterminal area -- and much smaller dark spots on the subterminal line.
Adult Structural Features: Males are similar to those of M. aemulataria in having a slender, non-inflated hind tibia and lacking a pecten on the third abdominal sternite (Ferguson, 2008), features otherwise found in most species of Macaria, including M. promiscuata.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae are glossy green to brown, often with a dark head and elongated pale spots that extend forward from each of the abdominal spiracles (Wagner et al., 2001). Macaria larvae found feeding on alder or birch in the Blue Ridge are likely to represent this species (see Wagner et al., 2001, and Ferguson, 2008, for details).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Confined to the Blue Ridge. Ferguson (2008) noted that subspecies appalachiana occurs at sites between 3,200 and 6,000 ft, which is consistent with our records.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Macaria ulsterataAlamance 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 Hanover 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.