Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
« »
View PDFGeometridae Members:
Prochoerodes Members:
729 NC Records

Prochoerodes lineola (Goeze, 1781) - Large Maple Spanworm Moth


view caption
Taxonomy
Superfamily: Geometroidea Family: GeometridaeSubfamily: EnnominaeTribe: OurapteryginiP3 Number: 911432.00 MONA Number: 6982.00 MONA Synonym: Prochoerodes transversata
Comments: A moderately large genus primarily of the tropics with some 34 species, of which 7 have been recorded in the US and one reaching North Carolina. Phenotypically, they are all very similar and our species is no exception.
Species Status: Specimens from several localities in North Carolina have been bar-coded and fall into the narrow range of variation found throughout the species in the US (Western species require revision). Many neotropical members of the genus have the forewing truncated and that character does show up infrequently in our populations but barcoding indicates such individuals are conspecific with the normal wing form. For many years our species was called P. transversata (e.g., Covell, 1984), which is now considered a synonym of lineola.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984; as Prochoerodes transversata); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1948; as Sabulodes transversata)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1948); Wagner et al. (2001); Wagner (2005)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A large Geometrid likely to be confused only with Eutrapela, which has scalloped wing margins, whereas they are smooth in Prochoerodes.
Wingspan: 50 mm (Forbes, 1948)
Adult Structural Features: Genitalia are unique among North Carolina Geometrids and certainly characteristic of our species. There is also an abdominal comb which is absent in Eutrapela.
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Caterpillars look very much like those of Eutrapela but their smoother integument is usually decorated with bluish, cloud-like patterns. The head is not retracted as dramatically as in Eutrapela.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Recorded from across the state, from the Barrier Islands to the High Mountains.
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