Moths of North Carolina
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Cabera Members:
13 NC Records

Cabera quadrifasciaria (Packard, 1873) - Four-lined Cabera Moth


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Taxonomy
Superfamily: Geometroidea Family: GeometridaeSubfamily: EnnominaeTribe: CaberiniP3 Number: 911101.00 MONA Number: 6680.00
Comments: The genus Cabera as currently conceived is found in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Some 30 species are known of which 5 occur in the United States and 3 are found in North Carolina.
Species Status: Specimens from Pender County have been barcoded and match those from Maryland and elsewhere. Barcoding indicates this species is simply a divergent member of the genus and it does not seem to associate with any other genus. However, the divergent pattern, flight period, foodplant and genitalia argue instead that it might better be placed in its own new genus.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1948); Rindge (1956)Technical Description, Immature Stages: J. Sogaard (BugGuide, 2017)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A medium-sized, cream colored Geometrid that is easily identified by the four dark gray, crosslines that run straight across the forewing. Sexes are similar. Scopula ordinata looks somewhat similar, but has more pointed forewings and lines that are all bent inward below the costa (ordinata also very rare in the range of C. quadrifasciaria occurring in rich wooded habitat not open pine and savanna habitat).
Wingspan: 26 mm (Forbes, 1948)
Forewing Length: 14-16 mm, males; 13-15 mm, females (Rindge, 1956)
Adult Structural Features: The genitalia are quite different from our other species of Cabera, particularly the aedeagus and female genitalia.
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Caterpillars photographed on Leadplant by Jim Sogaard (BugGuide (201) may be the only observation of the immature stages of this species. As in C. erythemaria and C. variolaria, the larvae are green with pale subdorsal lines and a series of darker spots located on the dorsal surface of the abdomen. Wagner et al. (2001) report that C. variolaria and C. erythemaria overwinter as pupae, which seems likely for this species as well.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: The species has been found in the coastal counties north to Pender.
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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