Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGeometridae Members: Idaea Members: 135 NC Records

Idaea violacearia (Walker, 1861) - Violet Wave

Idaea violaceariaIdaea violaceariaIdaea violacearia
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Geometroidea		 Family:
Geometridae		Subfamily:
Sterrhinae		Tribe:
Sterrhini		P3 Number:
91a0073		 MONA Number:
7120.00		 Other Common Name:
Violaceous Wave
Comments: One of thirty species in this genus that occur in North America north of Mexico (Pohl et al., 2016). Thirteen have been recorded in North Carolina.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The frons is black and contrasting but the rest of the head, body, and the ground color of the forewings are ash gray (Forbes, 1948). The antemedian and postmedian lines are fine and black, with the postmedian regularly scalloped. The subterminal line is pale and faint. In our specimens, an obscure dark discal dot may be present, along with a series of terminal bars or dots. Our other members of this genus either have a whitish or a buff, brown, or yellowish ground color. Several species have heavier dark markings that are not present in violacearia (see key given in Forbes, 1948).
Wingspan: 20 mm (Forbes, 1948)
Adult Structural Features: "The hind legs are very weak" (Forbes, 1948)
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Idaea violaceariaAlamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New%20Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: adults.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Nearly all of our records come from Longleaf Pine-dominated savannas, flatwoods, and sand hills. One historic record exists for the Piedmont and our few Mountain records come from a cedar barren, lakeshore, and cove forests.
Larval Host Plants: Host plants are apparently unknown. - View
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G4 SNR [S3S4]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Idaea violacearia - Violet Wave

Photos: 8
Idaea violaceariaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-05-24
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Idaea violaceariaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-05-24
Richmond Co.
Comment:
Idaea violaceariaRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-23
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Idaea violaceariaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2023-05-21
New Hanover Co.
Comment:
Idaea violaceariaRecorded by: Jim Petranka and John Petranka on 2023-05-18
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Idaea violaceariaRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Bo Sullivan on 2023-05-17
Richmond Co.
Comment:
Idaea violaceariaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2022-05-29
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Idaea violaceariaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2022-05-25
Chatham Co.
Comment: