Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGeometridae Members: Macaria Members: 194 NC Records

Macaria fissinotata (Walker, [1863]) - Hemlock Angle

Macaria fissinotataMacaria fissinotataMacaria fissinotataMacaria fissinotata
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Geometroidea		 Family:
Geometridae		Subfamily:
Ennominae		Tribe:
Macariini		P3 Number:
91a0769		 MONA Number:
6348.00		 MONA Synonym:
Semiothisa fissinotata
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.
Species Status: Fissinotata is included in the conifer-feeding signaria species group by Ferguson (2008), of which pinistrobata, signaria, and granitaria are the other members that occur in North Carolina (two others, marmorata and oweni, have also been doubtfully recorded).
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984; as Semiothisa fissinotata); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Ferguson (2008)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Maier et al., 2013                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Members of the signaria group are similar to other Macaria in their angled hindwings and sub-falcate forewings, but are distinguished from other North Carolina Macaria in possessing a grayish rather than a yellowish head (Forbes, 1948). All members of this group are generally similar in their pattern of lines and spots. Fissinotata is the most lightly marked, least contrasting member of this group. The median line is often faint or absent, especially in males, and the postmedian is distinctive among members of this group by being nearly straight rather than waved. The pre-apical spot and spot patch on the subterminal line at the end of the cell are usually weak or occasionally missing, again particularly in males.
Adult Structural Features: All members of the signaria group have males with foveae (Ferguson, 2008).
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae are green with pale lateral stripes and a frosted dorsal surface; the head has dark brown markings (Maier et al., 2013). Several other conifer-feeding species of Macaria have similar larvae and fissinotata, in particular, overlaps with signaria in their use of Hemolock and Spruce; larvae found on those hosts need to be reared for a positive identification (Maier et al., 2013).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Restricted to the Mountains and to the high, montane-like habitats of the Sauratown Mountains in the western Piedmont.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Macaria fissinotataAlamance 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.