Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGeometridae Members: Cyclophora Members: 234 NC Records

Cyclophora myrtaria (Guenée, [1858]) - Waxmyrtle Wave

Cyclophora myrtaria
view caption 		Cyclophora myrtariaCyclophora myrtaria
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Geometroidea		 Family:
Geometridae		Subfamily:
Sterrhinae		Tribe:
Cosymbiini		P3 Number:
91a0022		 MONA Number:
7137.00		 Other Common Names:
Wax Myrtle Wave, Myrtaria Wave Moth
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The dorsal surface of the wings is fawn brown; the undersurface is "pale reddish cinereous" (Walker,1862, as Ephyra ignotaria). In packardi, the upper surface is yellowish-brown, often with a wash of reddish, and the undersurfaces are pale yellowish brown.
Adult Structural Features: Males have a tuft of hair-like scales on the upper, outer part of the hind tibia; this tuft is missing in packardi (Prout, 1931). The palps of both sexes are longer in this species than in packardi, as are the pectinations of the antennae of the males.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Cyclophora myrtariaAlamance 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.
Immature 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: immatures.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: In North Carolina, this species is commonly found on barrier islands, both in maritime forests and in open dune scrub. It is also common in other Tidewater habitats and inland, it occurs in savannas, flatwoods, and sand ridges, where it may be associated with Morella pumila. A few Piedmont records exist, but its association with natural habitats in that region need to be determined.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed primarily on Morella species but have also been reared on oak (Quercus) (Wagner et al., 2001). In North Carolina, J.B. Sullivan reared a larva from Common Waxmyrtle (Morella cerifera). - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for Myricaceous Thickets
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G4G5 SNR [S4S5]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Cyclophora myrtaria - Waxmyrtle Wave

 68 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-19
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2025-05-23
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: David George, Randy Newman on 2024-10-28
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-10-04
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2024-10-02
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-28
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-28
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-23
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-14
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-07
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-07
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-07
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-07
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2024-08-28
Cumberland Co.
Comment:
Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2024-07-19
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-07-12
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-07-12
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-07-04
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: Tim Foley on 2024-06-17
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-06-09
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-06-09
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-05-25
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-05-25
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2023-11-17
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-10-20
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-10-01
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-09-30
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-09-25
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-09-16
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Cyclophora myrtariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-09-10
Wilson Co.
Comment: