Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGeometridae Members: Iridopsis Members: 687 NC Records

Iridopsis defectaria (Guenée, [1858]) - Brown-shaded Gray

Iridopsis defectariaIridopsis defectariaIridopsis defectariaIridopsis defectaria
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Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Geometroidea		 Family:
Geometridae		Subfamily:
Ennominae		Tribe:
Boarmiini		P3 Number:
91a0986		 MONA Number:
6586.00
Comments: One of 20 species in this genus that occur in North America north of Mexico, seven of which have been recorded in North Carolina. In Rindge's 1966 revision of this group, 18 were placed in Anacamptodes, which he recognized as possibly representing the same genus as Iridopsis, and two in Iridopsis itself.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984; as Anacamptodes defectaria)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: This is one of the larger members of this genus in North Carolina. It is similar in size and pattern to I. vellivolata -- both have reddish brown shading before the antemedian and following the postmedian -- but having a definite whitish ground color rather than the bluish or purplish color of vellivolata. The pale form of pergracilis is similar in ground color and shading, but has a less undulating postmedian, particular at M2 and C2.
Wingspan: 30-35 mm (Forbes, 1948)
Forewing Length: 13-20 mm, males; 16-22 mm, females (Rindge, 1966)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Iridopsis defectariaAlamance 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.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Habitats include barrens, forests, and woodlands (Wagner et al., 2001). Our records come from a wide range of hardwood forests, maritime habitats, Longleaf Pine ecosystems, and peatlands.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are polyphagous, feeding on a variety of hardwood trees. Wagner et al. (2001) specifically list walnut (Juglans), poplar (Populus), cherry (Prunus), oak (Quercus), and willow (Salix). In North Carolina, we have records for Common Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) and Willow Oak (Quercus phellos). - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Forests and Shrublands
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 Iridopsis defectaria - Brown-shaded Gray

 353 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: Simpson Eason on 2025-09-04
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-09-02
Rowan Co.
Comment:
Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-08-28
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-24
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Marilyn Westphal and Becky Elkin on 2025-08-17
Henderson Co.
Comment: 		Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-17
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: Marilyn Westphal on 2025-08-14
Henderson Co.
Comment: 		Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-08-06
Moore Co.
Comment:
Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-08-03
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2025-07-31
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-21
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-08
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2025-07-04
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-04
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: Dean Furbish on 2025-07-03
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2025-06-26
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-05-25
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-05-25
Moore Co.
Comment:
Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-05-24
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-24
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-23
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-05-21
Moore Co.
Comment:
Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-05-09
Cumberland Co.
Comment: 		Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2025-05-05
Cumberland Co.
Comment:
Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-05
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-03
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-30
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2025-04-25
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-24
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Iridopsis defectariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-02
Wilson Co.
Comment: