Moths of North Carolina
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Rheumaptera Members:
5 NC Records

Rheumaptera undulata (Linnaeus, 1758) - Scallop Shell Moth

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Taxonomy
Superfamily: Geometroidea Family: GeometridaeSubfamily: LarentiinaeTribe: HydriomeniniP3 Number: 91a0342 MONA Number: 7291.00 MONA Synonym: Hydria undulata
Comments: This species (Ferguson, 1955) was previously placed in the genus Hydria (Hodges et al. 1983), then later in Rheumaptera, before being returned to Hydria (Hausmann and Viidalepp 2012). The latest 2023 checklist of North American has returned it to Rheumaptera (Pohl and. Nanz, 2023).
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984; as Hydria undulata)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Ferguson (1955)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Rheumaptera undulata and R. prunivorata are two cryptic species that can only be reliably separated using genitalia. In western North Carolina they tend to separate to some extent elevationally, with R. undulata rarely occurring below 3,500' and R. prunivorata extending from the lower valleys to higher elevations where it overlaps elevationally with R. undulata. Thus, specimens from the lower valleys can generally be assigned to R. prunivorata with high confidence.
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.
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

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Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Our few confirmed records come from cove forests.
Larval Host Plants: Polyphagous, larvae feed on a variety of hardwood shrubs and trees, including Alder, Azalea, Blueberry, Spirea, Willow, and Poplar and probably many other species (Wagner et al., 2001) - View
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SU
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
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