Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGeometridae Members: Eupithecia Members: 20 NC Records

Eupithecia absinthiata (Clerck, 1759) - Wormwood Pug Moth

Eupithecia absinthiataEupithecia absinthiataEupithecia absinthiata
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Geometroidea		 Family:
Geometridae		Subfamily:
Larentiinae		Tribe:
Eupitheciini		P3 Number:
91a0289		 MONA Number:
7586.10
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: "The light chocolate brown color of the wings, the large black discal dot on the primaries only, and the dark costal patches at the inception of the t.a. and t.p. lines are characteristic of the species, these features being retained even when the cross lines have become obscure" (McDunnough, 1949, as E. geminata).
Adult Structural Features: The palpi are moderate in length, semiporrect, projecting considerably beyond the front, and rather
bushily tufted (McDunnough, 1949). The male antennae are finely and rather evenly ciliate, with a mild tendency towards the trifasciculate type. The black band across segment II of the abdomen is fairly well defined and accentuated by paler scaling on the preceding segment. When not rubbed off, the small dorsal tufts are mixed black and white. The eighth sternite is of the usual conical type, with broad, bluntly truncate apex which shows indications of a small median excavation.
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:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Eupithecia absinthiataAlamance 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.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Larval Host Plants: Larvae apparently feed on a variety of plants in the Asteraceae, with reported hosts including American Yarrow (Achillea gracilis), Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense), thoroughworts (Eupatorium spp.), and Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) (Robinson et al., 2010). We do not have any feeding records in North Carolina. - View
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: W-PK
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SU [S2S3]
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 absinthiata - Wormwood Pug Moth

Photos: 9
Eupithecia absinthiata
Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin, Marilyn Westphal, Nora Murdock on 2025-08-25
Henderson Co.
Comment: 		Eupithecia absinthiata
Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin, Marilyn Westphal, Nora Murdock on 2025-08-25
Rutherford Co.
Comment:
Eupithecia absinthiata
Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2024-09-04
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Eupithecia absinthiata
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-08-27
Madison Co.
Comment:
Eupithecia absinthiata
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-08-06
Transylvania Co.
Comment: 		Eupithecia absinthiata
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2023-08-23
Madison Co.
Comment:
Eupithecia absinthiata
Recorded by: tom ward on 2021-09-02
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Eupithecia absinthiata
Recorded by: Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2015-09-16
Ashe Co.
Comment:
Eupithecia absinthiata
Recorded by: Doug Blatny/Jackie Nelson on 2012-08-23
Ashe Co.
Comment: