scallop moth

not listed

NNR - Unranked

SNR - Unranked

not listed

Scallop moth is a common, medium-sized, typical geometer moth. It occurs in the United States from Maine to Maryland, west to North Dakota and Iowa, and south along the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia. It also occurs in southern Canada from Nova Scotia to Manitoba.

The larvae feed on many species of trees and shrubs, including apple, birch, gooseberry, maple, meadowsweet, oak, pear, sweet fern, and winterberry. Adults are active in June and July. They are found in forests, woodlands, and wooded swamps.

Adults have a 1″ to 15⁄16″ (26 to 33 mm) wingspan. The forewings and hindwings are deeply scalloped on the outer margin. This is the feature that gives the species its common name.

The forewings are light brown, yellowish brown, or reddish brown with darker purplish-brown lines and streaks. The antemedial (AM) line is bold and slightly wavy. It bends upward at a 90° angle near the leading edge (costal margin). The postmedial (PM) line is doubled and tinted dark between the lines. There is a broad pale streak on the costal margin between the AM line and the wingtip. There are numerous, short, horizontal, purplish-brown streaks. These are especially dark and dense at the costal margin.

The hindwings are similarly colored and marked, but they are often darker, and they are usually tinged purplish beyond the AM line.

Wingspan: 1″ to 15⁄16″ (26 to 33 mm)

Forests, woodlands, and wooded swamps

One generation per year: June and July in Minnesota

Many species of trees and shrubs, including apple, birch, gooseberry, maple, meadowsweet, oak, pear, sweet fern, and winter berry

Flower nectar

Sources

4, 21, 29, 30, 71, 75, 82, 83.

Common

The genus Ennomos was formerly placed in the tribe Ourapterygini. An analysis of the the subfamily Ennominae (Beljaev, 2008) proposed a new generic composition of the tribe Ennomini based on unique characteristics of the male genitalia and on general morphology. Beljaev proposed the synonymization of the tribes Ennomini and Ourapterygini. A later molecular sampling of the family Geometridae (Sihvonenet al., 2011) suggested that the Ennomini, Ourapterygini, Nephodiini, and other taxa “constitute a well-supported clade.” This was supported by a more recent molecular analysis of New World Geometridae (Brehm et al., 2019). Brehm agreed with the synonymization of Ennomini and Ourapterygini.

Genera formerly in the tribe Ourapterygini are thus transferred to the tribe Ennomini. Ennomini now comprises the highest number of Neotropical genera (more than 100, including undescribed taxa) in a single tribe. The transfer has not been universally accepted.

Cepphis armataria scallop moth

This moth was on a tarp next to the garage adjacent to Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI.

Location: Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI

This moth was on a tarp next to the garage adjacent to Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI.