Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGeometridae Members: Tornos Members: 25 NC Records

Tornos abjectarius Hulst, 1887 - No Common Name

Tornos abjectariusTornos abjectariusTornos abjectarius
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Geometroidea		 Family:
Geometridae		Subfamily:
Ennominae		Tribe:
Boarmiini		P3 Number:
91a0884		 MONA Number:
6487.00
Comments: One of seven species in this New World genus that occur in North America north of Mexico (Rindge, 1954), three of which have been recorded in North Carolina
Species Status: Rindge (1954) described several subspecies, of which only calcasiatus appears to occur in North Carolina. This subspecies is found from east Texas north to east Kansas, east to the Carolinas and Georgia.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD, iNat SearchTechnical Description, Adults: Rindge (1954)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Early stages were unknown to Rindge (1954)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A medium-sized, yellow-brown Geometrid with narrow, elongated wings held horizontally at rest. Sexes are dimorphic. In subspecies calcasiatus (the form in our area), the upper surface of the wings in males is "dark ochraceous, overlain with reddish brown, dark gray, and black-brown scales, becoming gray-black near outer margin, with median area of forewings concolorous with remainder of wing or only very slightly suffused with darker scales (Rindge, 1954). Females are more ochraceous and generally lighter. A dark discal spot with a scale tuft is present in both sexes, as are both the antemedian and postmedian lines; a line of pale gray spots may also present as the subterminal line. Hindwings are concolorous with the forewings, darkened at the base.

Males can be distinguished from those of T. scolopacinarius, which are more gray-brown and with less contrast between the terminal area and the rest of the wing. Females of the two species are more similar but with again a more contrasting terminal area in abjectarius. Specimens of subspecies calcastiatus can usually be separated from specimens of scolopacinarius that occur in the same general area by the brighter and more contrasting colors, and by the more clearly defined maculation (Rindge). Generally, specimens of these two species need to be dissected to be certain of their identity.
Wingspan: 22-29 mm, males; 21-30 mm, females (Rindge, 1954)
Adult Structural Features: Male and female reproductive structures are described and illustrated by Rindge (1954), with keys provided for both sexes covering all species in North America.
Genitalia and other structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Our records all come from the Coastal Plain. However, the range map in Rindge (1954) shows records only from the western part of the state.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Tornos abjectariusAlamance 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.