Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGeometridae Members:
Erannis Members:
47 NC Records

Erannis tiliaria (Harris, 1841) - Linden Looper


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Taxonomy
Superfamily: Geometroidea Family: GeometridaeSubfamily: EnnominaeTribe: BistoniniP3 Number: 911086.00 MONA Number: 6665.00
Comments: This genus, comprising some 9-12 species depending upon how various subspecies are treated, is limited to the northern parts of America, Europe, Turkey and Japan, with most species concentrated in Russia. One species occurs in North America, including North Carolina.
Species Status: A North Carolina specimen has been barcoded and matches those from Canada.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1948)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1948); Wagner et al. (2001); Wagner (2005)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The male is a large brown, almost translucent species unlike anything else in our fauna. The female is virtually wingless, black and white.
Wingspan: 40 mm (Forbes, 1948)
Adult Structural Features: Only male specimens have been captured in North Carolina and their genitalia are distinct. It is unlikely that adults would be confused with any other in our fauna based on external features, and the same is true of the male genitalia.
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Caterpillars are distinct, yellowish ventrally, blackish or brownish dorsally with narrow longitudinal stripes. Eggs are placed on trunks and hatch early in the following spring.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Most of our records are from the central and southern mountains at lower to mid-elevations. As of 2021, we have only two records from above 4000', along with one from the Coastal Plain.
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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