Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGeometridae Members:
Euchlaena Members:
2 NC Records

Euchlaena milnei McDunnough, 1945 - Milne's Euchlaena

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Taxonomy
Superfamily: Geometroidea Family: GeometridaeSubfamily: EnnominaeTribe: AngeroniniP3 Number: 91a1218 MONA Number: 6738.00
Comments: One of sixteen species in this genus that occur in North America north of Mexico (Pohl et al., 2016), twelve of which have been recorded in North Carolina
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1948); Schweitzer et al. (2011)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Schweitzer et al. (2011)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A yellow and brown Euchlaena with a distinctive, acutely angled antemedian line that is straight above and below the point; other species of Euchlaena have a much more rounded antemedian with at most a small tooth (Forbes, 1948). The median area is yellow but heavily suffused with brown towards the base; the subterminal area is a dark, chocolate brown.
Adult Structural Features: Male genitalia are described in a key given by Forbes (1948)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: A larva illustrated in Schweitzer et al. (2011) is a grayish-brown twig mimic. No technical description was given, however.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Currently known in North Carolina from two sites in the Mountains, one at fairly high elevation.
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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Flight Comments: Probably univoltine in North Carolina, with adults flying in June and July, as in other portions of its range (Schweitzer et al., 2011)
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Our records come from a stand of Spruce, growing at a fairly low elevation at a site where Northern Hardwoods were more widespread, and from a cove forest near the shoreline of Fontana Lake. In Virginia, it appears to be associated with mesic hardwoods and it has been recorded in riparian forests in other areas (Schweitzer, et al., 2011). No clear pattern is yet evident, however.
Larval Host Plants: Unknown although larvae accept willow and other tree species in captivity (Schweitzer et al., 2011). - View
Observation Methods: Comes to blacklights but how well is unknown.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: SR
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G2G4 S1S3
State Protection: Listed as Significantly Rare by the Natural Heritage Program. That designation does not confer any legal protection, however, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This species is considered very rare both globally and within North Carolina. Not enough information exists to determine the causes of its rarity, however, or how best to conserve its populations (see Schweitzer et al., 2011, for a discussion of possible threats, including Gypsy Moth control projects, fire, and over-browsing of its host plants by deer).