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

Eupithecia swettii Grossbeck, 1907 - No Common Name

Eupithecia swettiiEupithecia swettii
Taxonomy
Superfamily: Geometroidea Family: GeometridaeSubfamily: LarentiinaeTribe: EupitheciiniP3 Number: 91a0233 MONA Number: 7530.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: McDunnough (1949)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The forewings are elongate, more than twice as long as wide, but triangular in shape with an oblique outer margin (Forbes, 1948); the are pointed apically and have a checkered fringe (McDunnough, 1949). The ground color is light fawn, tending to gray (McDunnough, 1949). The markings are often obscure (McDunnough) or or even, giving the appearance of striations (Forbes, 1948). The discal dot is slender. The second segment of the abdomen has a slight indication of a dark transverse band (McDunnough). Eupithecia matheri is similar in having narrow, elongated forewings and an early spring flight, but is grayer than swetti and has more obsolescent markings (Rindge, 1985). The hind wings are slightly paler than the forewings, and have a minute discal dot and may or may not have an extradiscal line or band (Rindge, 1985).
Wingspan: 22 mm (Forbes, 1948)
Adult Structural Features: The eighth sternite is not modified and is twice as wide as usual (Forbes, 1948); according to McDunnough (1949), it is broad and subtriangular with truncate apex. The palpi are of moderate length and tufted (McDunnough, 1949). In males, they extend beyond the front of the eyes by a distance about equal to the diameter of the eye and in the females are only slightly longer (Rindge, 1985); the palpi have some white scaling along the ventral edge.
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.
Eupithecia swettii
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Flight Comments: An early spring species
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Larval Host Plants: The early stages and food plant are apparently unknown (Rindge, 1985) - View
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S3S4
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 swettii - No common name

Photos: 2

Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2019-03-29
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: SPH on 1992-04-06
Orange Co.
Comment: Identification based on dissection of some members of this series