Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGeometridae Members: Hydriomena Members: 23 NC Records

Hydriomena renunciata (Walker, 1862) - Renounced Hydriomena

Hydriomena renunciata
view caption 		Hydriomena renunciata
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Geometroidea		 Family:
Geometridae		Subfamily:
Larentiinae		Tribe:
Hydriomenini		P3 Number:
91a0483		 MONA Number:
7236.00
Comments: One of 56 species in this genus that occur in North America north of Mexico (McDunnough, 1954, covered 55 and Rindge added Hydriomena peratica in 1956). Most are boreal or are found in the West, with only five recorded in North Carolina.
Species Status: McDunnough placed renunciata in his Group I, which also includes the other four species found in our state.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Genitalia and other structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable only by close inspection of structural features or by DNA analysis.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Hydriomena renunciataAlamance 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 Hanover 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:
Larval Host Plants: Larvae reportedly feed on alders (Alnus) (Wagner et al., 2002). - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for Montane Shoreline Shrub Thickets
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: [W-PK]
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S1S2]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Hydriomena renunciata - Renounced Hydriomena

Photos: 5
Hydriomena renunciata
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-04-02
Madison Co.
Comment: Male (dissected).		Hydriomena renunciata
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-04-02
Madison Co.
Comment: Male genitalia.
Hydriomena renunciata
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-04-02
Madison Co.
Comment: Deeply forked uncut with long hairs. 		Hydriomena renunciata
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-03-31
Madison Co.
Comment: Male that was dissected (see companion photo).
Hydriomena renunciata
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-03-31
Madison Co.
Comment: Male genitalia.