Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
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View PDFGeometridae Members: Scopula Members: 23 NC Records

Scopula ordinata (Walker, 1861) - No Common Name

Scopula ordinata
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Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Geometroidea		 Family:
Geometridae		Subfamily:
Sterrhinae		Tribe:
Scopulini		P3 Number:
91a0106		 MONA Number:
7161.00
Comments: One of 26 species in this genus that occur in North America north of Mexico (Pohl et al., 2016), seven of which have been recorded in North Carolina
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Covell (1970)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Covell (1970)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A medium sized Wave with slightly falcate forewings. The ground color is pale cream, variably tinted with ochre, especially along the costa. The antemedian, median, and postmedian are narrow, ochre lines, running straight across the forewings but all making an outward angle -- especially sharp in the median line -- just below the costa. The discal dots are small and black and the only other markings on the wing are faint subterminal, adterminal, and terminal brown lines (Covell, 1970). None of our other whitish Geometrids have this pattern of bent lines.
Forewing Length: 15.0 - 15.4 mm, males; 11.3 -16.5 mm, females (Covell, 1970)
Adult Structural Features: Male and female reproductive structures are described and illustrated by Covell (1970) and appear to be highly distinctive.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: A larva illustrated by John Abbott is described by Packard (1876) as "pale flesh-colored, with a red
subdorsal stripe and transverse reddish and plumbeous stripes" (see Covell, 1970). Larvae matching this description and found feeding on Trilium spp. probably represent this species.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: We now have records for this species from the southern mountains, southern Piedmont, and southern Coastal Plain. Given the range of Trillium catsbaei in the state, this species could occur over most of the Mountains and Piedmont and at least some portions of the Coastal Plain.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Scopula ordinataAlamance 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.