Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Geometridae Members:	Gueneria Members:	123 NC Records

Gueneria similaria (Walker, 1860) - False Yellow-dusted Cream

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Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Geometroidea

Family:
Geometridae

Subfamily:
Ennominae

Tribe:
Lithinini

P3 Number:
91a1139

MONA Number:
6815.00

Other Common Name:
Ghostly Fern Moth

Comments: A monotypic genus restricted to eastern North America

Species Status: Numerous specimens from North Carolina have been barcoded and are similar to those from eastern Canada; there is no indication of multiple species.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions:

Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD

Technical Description, Adults: Forbes (1948)

Technical Description, Immature Stages: Wagner et al. (2001)

Adult Markings: A medium-small, pale yellowish-white Geometrid. The ground color of the forewings, as well as the head and body, is cream colored. The overall orange dusting in all but well-worn specimens is characteristic, usually forming three to four transverse bands. This species is apt to be confused with species of Cabera and maybe even Scopula. A black discal spot and brown postmedial spots on the undersides of the wings can be used to distinguish this species from Cabera (Forbes, 1948).

Wingspan: 25 mm (Forbes, 1948)

Adult Structural Features: Male antennae are simple rather than pectinate as they are in Cabera. Worn females may need to be determined by venation differences or by dissection. Both males and females have distinct genitalia, which should easily separate them from similar species.

Structural photos

Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.

Immatures and Development: Caterpillars are rather nondescript but with multiple longitudinal lines. Abdominal segments narrowed anteriorly (see Wagner et al., 2001 for an illustration and more detailed description)

Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: The species is found across the state but becomes less common with increasing altitude.

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) Click on graph to enlarge
Flight Comments: There are probably at least two broods

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: All of our records come from wet to mesic hardwood forests where there is an abundance of ferns. It has a wide elevational range in the mountains, where it occurs in riparian forests, cove forests, and northern hardwoods. In the Piedmont, it has been found on several monadnocks but also in lower areas with fern-rich slopes. Our few records from the Coastal Plain come either from mesic slopes adjoining brownwater floodplains or a few other relatively isolated stands of mesic hardwoods growing on slopes above blackwater rivers.

Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on ferns, and do not seem to be particularly choosy, though host plant records are needed from North Carolina. Wagner et al. (2001) list New York Fern (Amauropelta noveboracensis), lady ferns (Athyrium), and wood-ferns (Dryopteris). - View

Observation Methods: Adults come to light but rarely in numbers. We have no records of adults at bait.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Fernlands

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: This species is widespread in the mountains, where it appears to be secure. In most of the Piedmont and Coastal Plain, however, it has a more restricted distribution and is associated with cool mesic forests that are likely to be vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

Photo Gallery for Gueneria similaria - False Yellow-dusted Cream

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

	Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin, Marilyn Westphal, Nora Murdock on 2025-08-25 Henderson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-07-24 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2024-08-12 Graham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Kevin Bischof on 2024-08-07 Transylvania Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-08-05 Transylvania Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-08-05 Transylvania Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-08-05 Transylvania Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-08-04 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2024-06-25 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2024-06-24 Watauga Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2024-06-24 Watauga Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2024-06-24 Watauga Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Patrick Coin on 2024-06-22 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2023-08-06 Graham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-31 Macon Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Becky Watkins on 2023-07-30 Swain Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Becky Watkins on 2023-07-29 Swain Co. Comment:		Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2023-05-08 Transylvania Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-05-08 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-04-23 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2021-07-27 Graham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-05-21 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: tom ward on 2021-05-19 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: tom ward on 2021-05-19 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Vin Stanton on 2020-07-18 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Vin Stanton on 2020-04-03 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-09-14 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2019-06-09 Graham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2019-06-09 Graham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-05-27 Madison Co. Comment: