Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGeometridae Members:
Antepione Members:
145 NC Records

Antepione thisoaria (Guenée, [1858]) - Variable Antepione Moth


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Taxonomy
Superfamily: Geometroidea Family: GeometridaeSubfamily: EnnominaeTribe: OurapteryginiP3 Number: 911437.00 MONA Number: 6987.00
Comments: Eight species have been described in the genus, which ranges from Canada south at least to Costa Rica. Most species are found in our western states but one ranges from Costa Rica to North Carolina and northward.
Species Status: Specimens from North Carolina are similar to those from eastern US and eastern southern Canada. Variability in bar codes is minimum. There are synonyms of this species described from Guatemala and Costa Rica but the US records as displayed in Moth Photography Group would lead one to believe they are probably not conspecific with our species. According to Ferris (2010), thisoaria does not occur west of east Texas (95th meridian) and does not overlap with the western Antepione imitata.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1948, as Sabulodes thisoaria); Ferris (2010)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1948); Wagner et al. (2001); Wagner (2005)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Sexes are highly variable, with different seasonal and sexual forms. Members of the spring brood are typically grayish brown or all pale, whereas in the summer brood, individuals are marked with bright yellow (Forbes, 1948). Males usually have a brown shade past the postmedian line, which is usually distinct; in the summer brood, males are typically two-toned. Females usually are more concolorous, with a less distinct postmedian but with one or two dark spots along that line at the inner margin (Forbes, 1948). Most forms have a distinct apical patch, but that is usually much more contrasting in the females.
Wingspan: 35 mm (Forbes, 1948)
Adult Structural Features: Genitalia are distinct in both sexes, differing from any species in our area likely to be confused with this Antepione
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The caterpillars are stick mimics that are highly variable in color. Like Prochoerodes and the two Tetracis species, the larvae are characterized by flattened heads, thickened segments, and prominent warts. Larvae of all three of these genera may be confused with one another, although the technical criteria described by Wagner et al. (2001) may help identify them.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from close inspection of specimens or by DNA analysis.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Most of our records come from the Mountains but there are also records from two Monadnocks in the western Piedmont, both of which have habitats similar to those found in the Blue Ridge
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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