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

Cleora sublunaria (Guenée, [1858]) - Double-lined Gray

Cleora sublunariaCleora sublunaria
view caption 		Cleora sublunariaCleora sublunaria
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Geometroidea		 Family:
Geometridae		Subfamily:
Ennominae		Tribe:
Boarmiini		P3 Number:
91a0995		 MONA Number:
6594.00
Comments: This genus occurs over much of the world but in North America there are only two species and both occur in North Carolina.
Species Status: Barcodes indicate a single species throughout its range.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1948)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Wagner et al. (2001)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Moderately long-winged and similar in pattern and coloration to other Geometrids loosely termed the Grays. Usually easy to distinguish by its strong, black, and double-lined antemedian and by a white basal ring or bar on the abdomen followed by black patch. In Anavitrinella and a few of the Iridopsis that have contrasting rings at the base of the abdomen, the black bar is basal to the pale ring and none have a doubled antemedian line. While both species in the genus look quite similar, the frons is usually white in males and many female C. sublunaria and gray in C. projecta.
Wingspan: 28 mm (Forbes, 1948)
Adult Structural Features: Antennae of the male are bipectinate with two unequal sized branches from each antennal segment along the basal 2/3ds of the shaft (see photo included for C. projecta). This will distinguish the genus from other geometrids. In the male genitalia, the shape of the projections along the edge of the valves and the shape of the cornuti in the vesicas will distinguish the species. In the females, the size of the signum (larger in C. projecta) distinguishes the species.
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].
Immatures and Development: The larvae have a number of color forms but all have characteristic black spots flanked with white along the midline. At present we do not know how to separate the larvae of the two species of Cleora.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Occurs across the Coastal Plain and Piedmont and reaches the Low Mountains
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Cleora sublunaria
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
Flight Comments: This species begins to fly in late February or early March and is finished by the end of April. The flight of this species is a good indication that the worst of winter is past.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: We have records from a fairly wide range of Coastal Plain habitats. A number of records come from Maritime Forest and Maritime Scrub communities on the Barrier Islands, as well as from mainland areas supporting similar Coastal Fringe Evergreen Forest and Coastal Fringe Sandhill communities. Farther inland, we have records from much wetter sites, including riparian forests, nonriverine swamp forests, lake and pond shores. At least some records also come from peatland and Longleaf Pine communities, where its range overlaps with that of Cleora projecta. Piedmont records are currently restricted to the eastern edge, where they have been found again along shoreline habitats but also in stands of upland hardwoods.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae have been recorded from cherry (Prunus), oak (Quercus) and Morella, and presumed to feed on many other woody plants (Wagner et al., 2001). In our experience, they are on almost any plant you beat in the spring, although at least some may represent the larvae of Cleora projecta, which we currently cannot distinguish. J.B. Sullivan reared or recorded larvae on Titi (Cyrilla racemiflora), American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana), Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), cherry, Live Oak (Quercus virginiana), willow (Salix), and blueberry (Vaccinium). - View
Observation Methods: Adults readily come to lights but not to baits. The caterpillars are among the most common species found on plants in late April and May. They may be found on almost all edible plants one searches!
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Forests and Shrublands
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S3S4]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: Caterpillars are abundant and adults are common in the lower eastern half of North Carolina. Doubtless they are common in the upper half as well but we have no records.

 Photo Gallery for Cleora sublunaria - Double-lined Gray

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

Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-03-30
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-03-29
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-03-29
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2025-03-26
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: R. Newman on 2025-03-22
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2025-03-19
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson on 2025-03-19
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson on 2025-03-19
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2025-03-17
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Steve Hall on 2025-03-15
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-14
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2025-03-01
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-04-06
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-04-06
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-04-01
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-03-31
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, David George on 2024-03-31
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-03-30
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-03-23
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2024-03-17
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2024-03-16
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-03-14
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-03-13
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-03-11
Bladen Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-03-10
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-03-09
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-03-08
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-03-08
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-03-07
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2024-03-07
Wake Co.
Comment: