Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGeometridae Members: Heterophleps Members: 75 NC Records

Heterophleps refusaria (Walker, 1861) - Three-patched Bigwing

Heterophleps refusariaHeterophleps refusaria
view caption 		Heterophleps refusariaHeterophleps refusaria
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Geometroidea		 Family:
Geometridae		Subfamily:
Larentiinae		Tribe:
Lobophorini		P3 Number:
91a0119		 MONA Number:
7645.00
Comments: A large genus with most members from India and China. Three species occur in the USA and two in North Carolina. Our species appear to be congeneric with some of the species from China while other species from China may be misplaced.
Species Status: Specimens from North Carolina are similar to those from elsewhere in its range and no significant heterogeneity has been observed.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1948)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Wagner et al. (2001)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Lager and grayer than H. triguttaria but similar in possessing disproportionately large forewings. Adults can be mistaken for some species of Speranza with whom they fly, but the difference in size between the fore and hindwings is diagnostic.
Adult Structural Features: Genitalia are similar to other Laurentine Geometrids but are diagnostic for our species.
Genitalia and other structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae are variegated in brown, with a corrugated or wrinkled appearance (see Wagner et al., for details).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Restricted to the Mountains in North Carolina.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Heterophleps refusariaAlamance 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.