Moths of North Carolina

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Besma quercivoraria (Guenée, [1858]) - Oak Besma

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Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Geometroidea

Family:
Geometridae

Subfamily:
Ennominae

Tribe:
Ourapterygini

P3 Number:
91a1361

MONA Number:
6885.00

Comments: This genus currently contains 7 species named from Central and North America, and additional neotropical species await description. Two species occur in North Carolina.

Species Status: Multiple specimens have been barcoded and nest with those from elsewhere, no evidence of unrecognized species. It differs from B. endropiaria be about 1.4% or less than one usually finds between congeneric species.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)

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

Technical Description, Adults: Forbes (1948)

Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1948)

Adult Markings: A medium-sized, variably orange-brown Geometrid. Sexes are dimorphic. Males are heavily shaded with brown, particularly beyond the postmedian, but often with a pale apical patch; the antemedian and postmedian both bend towards one another in the median area and are often joined by a bar. Females are generally much paler and lack the connecting bar between the lines; the lines are also more evenly curved and are often bordered with reddish-orange. Males are most likely confused with some species in Euchlaena but possess a more angled outer margin, giving the wing tip a squared-off appearance. Some particularly pale females are similar to those of B. endropiaria, but have more strongly angled outer margins on both wings and more falcate forewing apices.

Wingspan: 35 mm (Forbes, 1948)

Adult Structural Features: Similar only to those of B. endropiaria and apparently different by the more diaphanous valve tip and the female ostial plate.

Structural photos

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

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Probably occurs statewide, except possibly the Barrier Islands.

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: At least three broods occur in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: The vast majority of our records come from wet-to-mesic stands of hardwood forests. In the Coastal Plain, these include bottomland and lakeshore stands, and dry-mesic stands that occur along seldom-burned bluffs. Conversely, records are absent from the Barrier Islands and rare in peatlands and Longleaf Pine habitats, particularly dry-to-xeric sandhills, although we have found larvae feeding on Bluejack Oak, which is associated with at least somewhat loamy sandhills. Records come from a wider range of upland hardwoods in the Piedmont, although again with most coming from bottomlands and mesic slopes. In the Mountains, records are plentiful from riparian forests, cove forests, northern hardwoods, but with again some coming from drier ridge-tops.

Larval Host Plants: Larvae reported from oaks, maples, and other hardwood trees as well as conifers. Wagner et al. (2001) specifically list maple (Acer), alder (Alnus), birch (Betula), beech (Fagus), oak (Quercus), willow (Salix), and elm (Ulmus). We have reared larvae found on Blue Jack Oak (Quercus incana) in Carteret and Craven Counties. Definitive non-oak records are needed. - View

Observation Methods: Adults have been found at lights and may come to baits but no records known.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Hardwood Forests

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S5]

State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.

Comments: This species occurs over most of the state and is associated with a wide range of hardwood-dominated habitat types. Consequently, it appears to be quite secure in North Carolina.

Photo Gallery for Besma quercivoraria - Oak Besma

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

	Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2025-09-11 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-09-03 Moore Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-09-01 Rowan Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin, Marilyn Westphal, Nora Murdock on 2025-08-25 Rutherford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-08-22 Moore Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2025-07-22 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-13 Rowan Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-13 Rowan Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-06-28 Moore Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George, Larry Chen, Sarah Toner, Joye Zhou on 2025-06-20 Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-18 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George on 2025-05-17 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-04-27 Moore Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-04-23 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2025-04-14 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2025-04-10 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson on 2025-04-05 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson on 2025-04-05 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George, Rich Teper on 2025-03-28 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2024-08-02 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-07-28 Rowan Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Patrick Coin, Steve Hall, Carol Tingley, Tom Howard on 2024-07-27 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2024-07-26 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-07-08 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-26 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Tracy Feldman, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Patrick Coin, Becky Watkins on 2024-06-08 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-06-03 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-06-02 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2024-05-16 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Rich Teper on 2024-05-13 Chatham Co. Comment: