Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGeometridae Members: Eupithecia Members: 1035 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.
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.
Flight Comments: Rindge (1985) mentions that miserulata is the only species in this genus that flies year-round
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: We have records from a very wide variety of open and forested, dry and wet forests. Many records come from residential areas.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are highly polyphagous, feeding on flowers but also a variety of woody trees and shrubs. Wagner et al. (2001) specifically list American Yarrow (Achillea gracilis), asters, fleabanes (Erigeron), joe-pye-weeds (Eutrochium), holly (Ilex), Common Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius), oak (Quercus), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), willow (Salix), Viburnum, and grape (Vitis). In North Carolina, larvae have been recorded on Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum), Possumhaw Viburnum (Viburnum nudum), Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria), Maryland Golden-aster (Chrysopsis mariana), a passionflower (Passiflora sp.), and a fleabane (Erigeron sp.). - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Mixed Habitats
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S5]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Eupithecia miserulata - Common Eupithecia

 394 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: David George, David Cheng, Patrick Coin on 2025-06-29
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: David George on 2025-06-29
Richmond Co.
Comment:
Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-06-28
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-27
Rowan Co.
Comment:
Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-06-25
Mitchell Co.
Comment: 		Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: Jeff Niznik, Kaitlyn Elliott on 2025-06-20
Orange Co.
Comment:
Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George, Larry Chen, Sarah Toner, Joye Zhou on 2025-06-20
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-14
Rowan Co.
Comment:
Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: Jeff Niznik, Kaitlyn Elliott on 2025-06-07
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: B. Bockhahn on 2025-06-03
Currituck Co.
Comment:
Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-02
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-05-24
Richmond Co.
Comment:
Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-05-24
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin on 2025-05-24
Richmond Co.
Comment:
Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Jim Petranka on 2025-05-24
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-05-24
Richmond Co.
Comment:
Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-23
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-21
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-16
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: Jim Petranka, John Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-09
Cumberland Co.
Comment:
Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-05-09
Cumberland Co.
Comment: 		Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-05-09
Cumberland Co.
Comment:
Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Brian Bockhahn, Jim Petranka, John Petranka, Becky Elkin on 2025-05-09
Cumberland Co.
Comment: 		Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: David George, Tracy Feldman on 2025-05-09
Cumberland Co.
Comment:
Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: David George, Tracy Feldman on 2025-05-09
Cumberland Co.
Comment: 		Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-07
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-02
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-02
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-05-01
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Eupithecia miserulataRecorded by: R. Newman on 2025-04-30
Carteret Co.
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