Moths of North Carolina
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Pleuroprucha Members:
635 NC Records

Pleuroprucha insulsaria (Guenée, [1858]) - Common Tan Wave

Pleuroprucha insulsariaPleuroprucha insulsariaPleuroprucha insulsariaPleuroprucha insulsaria
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Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Geometroidea		 Family:
Geometridae		Subfamily:
Sterrhinae		Tribe:
Cosymbiini		P3 Number:
91a0017		 MONA Number:
7132.00
Species Status: Forbes (1948) included Pleuroprucha> in the Tribe Cosymbiini
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The head, thorax, and wings are all concolorous reddish or greenish-gray; a white bar between the antennae the only contrasting mark (Forbes, 1948). The discal dot is obscure and the postmedian is usually faint, but wavy and marked with points at the veins. The terminal line is fine and black.
Wingspan: 15 mm (Forbes, 1948)
Adult Structural Features: Males with hind tibiae with end spurs only (4 present in females) and otherwise not modified (Forbes, 1948). The forewings are unique among the Sterrhinae in lacking an accessory cell and the radial veins all originating from a common stalk. The hindwing is distinctively arc-shaped. Male antennae are pectinate.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Pleuroprucha insulsaria
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Immature Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Grasslands, fields, and the edges of woodlands (Wagner et al., 2001). We have records from essentially all types of habitats in North Carolina, from maritime forest and grasslands, to Longleaf Pine communities, to peatlands, to bottomlands, to Spruce-Fir forests, to successional fields.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are polyphagous, frequently found on goldenrods (Solidago) but also reported on a wide range of woody and herbaceous plants. Wagner (2004) specifically lists Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin), ragweed (Ambrosia), indigo-bush (Amorpha), asters, chestnut (Castanea), bittersweet (Celastrus), tickseed (Coreopsis), bedstraw (Galium), sweetclover (Melilotus), oak (Quercus), willow (Salix), goldenrod, and corn. In North Carolina, we have a rearing record of a larva that was feeding on Chinese Elm (Ulmus parviflora). J.B. Sullivan also recorded larvae on Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) and Laurel Oak (Q. laurifolia). - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Mixed Habitats
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:

 Photo Gallery for Pleuroprucha insulsaria - Common Tan Wave

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

Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2025-05-18
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-15
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-27
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-11-11
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-11-06
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-10-30
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-10-21
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-10-07
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-10-05
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-10-04
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-10-03
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-09-23
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-23
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-09-22
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2024-09-20
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George on 2024-09-15
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-12
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-03
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-08-31
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-08-31
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Kenneth Geisert, David Bradley, Julie Tuttle, Patrick Coin, Kaitlyn Elliott, Becky Watkins on 2024-08-17
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-08-14
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Stephen Dunn on 2024-08-02
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-07-30
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-07-27
Rowan Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-07-18
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-07-16
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George on 2024-07-15
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George on 2024-07-04
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2024-06-26
Graham Co.
Comment: