Moths of North Carolina
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Iridopsis Members:
109 NC Records

Iridopsis pergracilis (Hulst, 1900) - Cypress Looper

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Geometroidea Family: GeometridaeSubfamily: EnnominaeTribe: BoarmiiniP3 Number: 910998.00 MONA Number: 6580.00
Comments: One of 20 species in this genus that occur in North America north of Mexico, seven of which have been recorded in North Carolina. In Rindge's 1966 revision of this group, 18 were placed in Anacamptodes, which he recognized as possibly representing the same genus as Iridopsis, and two in Iridopsis itself.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Leckie and Beadle (2018)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Rindge (1966)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Wagner et al. (2002)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A medium-sized, dimorphically-colored Gray. The ground color of the wings is pale gray to nearly white. The antemedian and postmedian lines are black and shaded with either reddish-brown or blackish brown. The postmedian is moderately waved, but not deeply biconcave as in some other members of this genus. Forewings have only a weakly developed discal spot and median line, if any, but the discal spot is well-developed on the hindwings (Rindge, 1966). The strongly-contrasting black-and-white form is distinctive but the reddish-brown shaded form is similar to I. defectaria; that species is usually larger, has a more deeply undulating -- biconcave -- postmedian, with a prominent bulge at both M2 and C2. Iridopsis humaria is similar in size but has a darker, more purplish ground color. Iridopsis ephyraria is also similar in size but usually has a more distinct median line and discal spot. Iridopsis cypressaria is smaller and the ground color of its wings are tan rather than gray or whitish; the postmedian line in that species is also much straighter below the bulge at the cell.
Forewing Length: 11-15 mm, males; 13-18 mm, females (Rindge, 1996)
Adult Structural Features: Both male and female reproductive structures are distinctive. Keys using these characters, along with detailed descriptions and illustrations are provided by Rindge (1966)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae are brown to green and somewhat mottled or banded. The segments are somewhat narrowed anteriorally and there are thin, broken black or white lines in some individuals (see Wagner et al., 2002, for a detailed description and illustrations).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Found throughout the Coastal Plain, including the Fall-line Sandhills; also occurs in cypress stands in the eastern Piedmont
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)

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