Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
« »
View PDFGeometridae Members:
Iridopsis Members:
652 NC Records

Iridopsis defectaria (Guenée, [1858]) - Brown-shaded Gray

Iridopsis defectariaIridopsis defectariaIridopsis defectariaIridopsis defectaria
view caption
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Geometroidea		 Family:
Geometridae		Subfamily:
Ennominae		Tribe:
Boarmiini		P3 Number:
91a0986		 MONA Number:
6586.00
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: Covell (1984; as Anacamptodes defectaria)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: This is one of the larger members of this genus in North Carolina. It is similar in size and pattern to I. vellivolata -- both have reddish brown shading before the antemedian and following the postmedian -- but having a definite whitish ground color rather than the bluish or purplish color of vellivolata. The pale form of pergracilis is similar in ground color and shading, but has a less undulating postmedian, particular at M2 and C2.
Wingspan: 30-35 mm (Forbes, 1948)
Forewing Length: 13-20 mm, males; 16-22 mm, females (Rindge, 1966)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Iridopsis defectaria
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Immature Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Habitats include barrens, forests, and woodlands (Wagner et al., 2001). Our records come from a wide range of hardwood forests, maritime habitats, Longleaf Pine ecosystems, and peatlands.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are polyphagous, feeding on a variety of hardwood trees. Wagner et al. (2001) specifically list walnut (Juglans), poplar (Populus), cherry (Prunus), oak (Quercus), and willow (Salix). In North Carolina, we have records for Common Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) and Willow Oak (Quercus phellos). - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Forests and Shrublands
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S5]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Iridopsis defectaria - Brown-shaded Gray

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

Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2025-03-05
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George, Larry Chen on 2025-02-26
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Lior S. Carlson, Dean Furbish on 2025-02-25
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Lior S. Carlson, Dean Furbish on 2025-02-25
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2025-02-08
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2025-02-07
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson on 2025-02-04
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2024-12-31
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2024-12-18
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-12-18
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-12-17
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-11-12
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2024-11-08
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-11-08
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-11-07
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Chuck Smith on 2024-11-01
Davidson Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2024-11-01
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-10-31
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2024-10-30
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-10-30
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Chuck Smith on 2024-10-27
Davidson Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-10-21
Wayne Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-10-13
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-10-01
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-09-22
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-06
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson on 2024-08-14
Pamlico Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-08-12
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Kevin Bischof on 2024-08-07
Transylvania Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-07-30
Carteret Co.
Comment: