Moths of North Carolina
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Digrammia Members:
239 NC Records

Digrammia ocellinata (Guenée, [1858]) - Faint-spotted Angle


Digrammia ocellinataDigrammia ocellinataDigrammia ocellinataDigrammia ocellinata
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Geometroidea
Family:
Geometridae
Subfamily:
Ennominae
Tribe:
Macariini
P3 Number:
91a0802
MONA Number:
6386.00
MONA Synonym:
Semiothisa ocellinata
Other Common Name:
Locust Looper
Comments: One of 49 species in this genus recorded in North America (Ferguson, 2008), six of which occur in North Carolina. Digrammia ocellinata, ordinata, and eremiata were placed in the legume-feeding Eremiata Species Group by Ferguson.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984; as Semiothisa ocellinata); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1948); Ferguson (2008)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Wagner et al. (2001); Wagner (2005); Ferguson (2008)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A medium-sized, grayish-brown Geometrid. Forewings are somewhat more falcate and the hindwings more angular than other members of this genus but less so than in Macaria species (Ferguson, 2008). The ground color of the wings is pale grayish-white. The transverse lines are often fairly diffuse, unlike the well-defined lines present in the other members of this species group, eremiata and ordinata. Like ordinata, however, the postmedian line consists of a series of dark dots located on the veins. Like D. gnophosaria, it has a hollow (ocellate) reniform located along the medial line, but is usually less conspicuous than in gnophosaria. Also differing from gnophosaria, the medial line usually does not converge with the antemedian at the inner margin. The most prominent marking is a fairly wide brown band located in the subterminal area but not extending to the outer margin. This band often contrasts strongly with the much paler basal, medial, and terminal areas.
Adult Structural Features: Genitalia are distinctive in both sexes (described and illustrated in Ferguson, 2008). Antennae are simple in both sexes. Males have swollen hind tibiae.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae are yellow, gray, green, or reddish. Ringed with pale yellow-orange in the intersegmental areas (Wagner et al., 2001). Numerous pale, wavy longitudinal lines are also present, usually with a pale subdorsal stripe (Wagner et al., 2001).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Common in the Mountains but uncommon to sparse in the Piedmont and especially the Coastal Plain.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Digrammia ocellinata
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

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