Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGeometridae Members: Eupithecia Members: 1045 NC Records

Eupithecia miserulata Grote, 1863 - Common Eupithecia

Eupithecia miserulataEupithecia miserulataEupithecia miserulataEupithecia miserulata
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Geometroidea		 Family:
Geometridae		Subfamily:
Larentiinae		Tribe:
Eupitheciini		P3 Number:
91a0184		 MONA Number:
7474.00		 Other Common Names:
Common Pug, American Common Pug
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1948); McDunnough (1949)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The ground color is dull grayish brown; but North Carolina specimens are often shaded with green -- particularly in winter specimens (not mentioned by either Forbes, McDunnough, or Rindge). The discal spot is contrastingly dark but the antemedian and postmedian lines are more obscurely marked. The subterminal line consists of a series of white spots -- often chevron-shaped -- with one located at the tornus usually larger and more conspicuous. The first segment of the abdomen is paler than the rest (McDunnough, 1949) and the second segment usually has a faint, dark, transverse band (Bolte, 1990). Females in our populations have dark scaling on the basal half of the abdomen (Sullivan, pers. obs.). According to Bolte, the combination of the prominent dark discal spot, series of white spots or streaks forming the subterminal line, and the prominent white spot above the tornus are sufficient to distinguish this species from the other members of this genus, including misturata, which is otherwise very similar in appearance.
Wingspan: 16 mm (Forbes, 1948)
Adult Structural Features: The antennae of the males have distinctive long bristles arranged in three fascicles per segment (Forbes, 1948). Females also have facisculate antennae, with a distinctive pair of longer, ribbed, and spine-like setae located at the middle of each antennal segment (Bolte, 1990). The palps are long and porrect, with their dark, smokey brown color contrasting with the creamy-pale frons, which is crossed by narrow apical band of dark brown (McDunnough, 1949). The forewings are rather broad and with a rounded apex (Forbes, 1948). The eighth sternite has two distinctive heavy, asymmetrical, longitudinal bars (Forbes, 1948). These can be exposed by brushing the tip of the abdomen, although with males, the antennal characteristics are usually enough for identification.
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Probably occurs statewide, and in a wide range of habitats.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Eupithecia miserulataAlamance 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.