Moths of North Carolina
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Phigalia Members:
169 NC Records

Phigalia strigataria (Minot, 1869) - Small Phigalia Moth

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Geometroidea Family: GeometridaeSubfamily: EnnominaeTribe: BistoniniP3 Number: 911081.00 MONA Number: 6660.00
Comments: One of four members of this genus that occur in North America, three of which are found in North Carolina
Species Status: Genetic bar-coding,including North Carolina specimens, indicates that this species is homogeneous throughout its range, with no cryptic siblings.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1948); Rindge (1975)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Wagner et al.(2001); Wagner (2005)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Phigalia are among the very few geometrids that fly during mid-winter to early spring. Males can be distinguished from Alsophila and Paleacrita, which also fly during this period and are similarly pale gray, by their blackish antemedian, median, and postmedian lines. In Phigalia strigataria, the postmedian line is often fragmentary but definitely toothed, particularly towards the costa. The portion of the postmedian close to the inner margin is usually fairly straight or gently incurved towards the median line but not strongly bulging as in denticulata (Covell, 1984). Strigataria is generally less mottled than Phigalia denticulata and is often tinged with an olive or greenish shade. Females of all three species of Phigalia have stubby, non-functional wings (which are virtually absent in female Alsophila and Paleacrita). Females of strigataria are similar to those of titea but are smaller and browner, "with practically no pale gray scaling on the head, thorax, or wings (Rindge, 1975).
Forewing Length: 14-18 mm, males, 0.8-1.2 mm, females (Rindge, 1975)
Adult Structural Features: Both male and female strigataria possess strong spines on the dorsal surface of the abdomen, unlike titea but similar to denticulata (Forbes, 1948). The spine on the male aedeagus is much larger and straighter than in the other two species, and more strongly pointed (see Rindge, 1975, for a key and illustrations). The wings of the females are very short, from 0.8 to 1.2 mm in length (Rindge, 1975).
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae of strigataria usually brown, with or without orange patches; see illustrations in Wagner et al. (2001) and Wagner (2005). Pupation occurs in the soil or litter.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Probably occurs statewide, including the Outer Banks and High Mountains
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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