Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGeometridae Members: 220 NC Records

Digrammia continuata (Walker, 1862) - Curve-lined Angle

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Geometroidea Family: GeometridaeSubfamily: EnnominaeTribe: MacariiniP3 Number: 910789.00 MONA Number: 6362.00 MONA Synonym: Semiothisa continuata
Comments: One of 49 species in this genus recorded in North America (Ferguson, 2008), six of which occur in North Carolina. Digrammia continuata was placed in the cedar-feeding Continuata Species Group by Ferguson, of which only continuata occurs in the East.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984; as Semiothisa continuata); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONATechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1948); Ferguson (2008)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Wagner et al. (2001); Ferguson (2008)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A medium-sized Geometrid with distinctive thick black antemedian and postmedian lines that strongly contrast with pale gray ground color. Some specimens of D. gnophosaria also have conspicuously dark lines but the ground color is usually brown rather than gray and they also possess an ocellate reniform along the median line, which is usually faint or missing in continuata.
Adult Structural Features: Genitalia are distinctive among at least the eastern species of Digrammia; western species of the continuata group, however, may be difficult to separate (Ferguson, 2008).
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae are a bright pea- or lime-green with a broken pattern of pale stripes and dark markings that help them blend in with the foliage of cedars on which they feed (Wagner et al., 2001; Ferguson, 2008). The ventral surface usually have brown shadings that vary from reddish-brown to tan; these are usually missing in the larvae of Macaria multilineata which are otherwise similar in coloration and also feed on cedars (Ferguson, 2008).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Our records come entirely from the Piedmont and Coastal Plain, although Red Cedar -- the host plant for this species -- occurs in the Mountains as well.
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
Flight Comments: Adults are present throughout the year in the Coastal Plain without any obvious peaks in activity. Records from the Piedmont appear to follow a similar pattern, but there are too few to be sure.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Occurs most abundantly on barrier islands in association with Southern Red Cedar. Records are sparser in the Piedmont, where it occurs in dry woodlands, glades, and forest edges in association with Eastern Red Cedar. Only a few records come from sites where Atlantic White Cedar is the only native cedar.
Larval Host Plants: Stenophagous, feeding on cedars (Wagner et al., 2001; Wagner, 2005; Ferguson, 2008). In North Carolina, most of our records come from sites with either Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana) or Southern Red Cedar (J. f. var. salicicola); only a very few records come from areas where only Atlantic White Cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) occurs.
Observation Methods: Comes well to blacklights but rarely to bait.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Cedar Woodlands
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 [S4S5]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: Although fairly specialized in terms of host plants, this species occurs in several kinds of cedar-containing habitats, including disturbed areas. It does not appear to be of conservation concern in North Carolina.

 Photo Gallery for Digrammia continuata - Curve-lined Angle

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

Recorded by: Morgan Freese on 2021-10-22
New Hanover Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-07-29
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: R. Newman on 2021-06-07
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2021-05-25
Onslow Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2021-05-13
Onslow Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2021-05-02
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2021-04-29
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2021-04-17
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: R. Newman on 2021-03-10
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2020-10-21
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: R. Newman on 2020-10-21
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-09-13
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-09-04
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2020-09-03
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2020-07-29
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2020-07-27
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Owen McConnellop on 2020-07-26
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-07-22
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-07-17
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-07-07
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-06-12
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2020-06-09
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-06-08
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-03-27
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2020-03-13
Onslow Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Steve Hall on 2019-10-02
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2019-08-31
Onslow Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-07-26
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-07-16
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-07-09
Guilford Co.
Comment: