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Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada
1 June 2005 11:30PM EST (top)
4 June 2005 9:19PM EST (center left)
27 May 2004 12:13AM EST (center right)
6 June 2003 11:46PM EST (bottom)
Members of the Geometrinae subfamily of Geometridae are often
called the Emeralds, or emerald moths, because so many of the species are green
in color. Nemoria mimosaria is one of eight species of Emerald
recorded from the Ottawa area (J.D. Lafontaine, pers. comm., 2001), of which six
are illustrated on this web site. Distinguishing between similar species
in this group is often problematic, and in checking my identifications and
revising my web pages for this group of moths, I have relied heavily on the work
of the late Dr. Douglas C. Ferguson (Ferguson, Douglas C., in Dominick,
R.B., et al., 1985, The Moths of America North of Mexico, Fasc. 18.1, Geometroidea:
Geometridae (in part)).
Nemoria mimosaria has light pea-green wings with white
fringe along the outer margin. The forewing has a slightly sinuous white
antemedial line and an almost straight white postmedial line. On the
hindwing, the antemedial line may be so faint as to be invisible, and the white
postmedial line bends or curves to parallel the outer margin. The
undersides of the wings are paler, near white, except for some greenish color
near the costa of the forewing. The abdomen is mainly white, but the first
three segments are green dorsally, with a well-defined white spot on the first
segment, and at least the trace of a similar spot on the third segment.
These abdominal markings serve to distinguish Nemoria mimosaria from the
other similar species such as Nemoria bistriaria siccifolia (Hodges
7046a) and Synchlora aerata albolineata (Hodges 7058a) that occur in my
area. In faded specimens, the wings may take on almost a translucent
quality. The wing length ranges from 10.5 to 14.0 mm in males, and from 12
to 14 mm in females (Ferguson, 1985).
According to Ferguson (1985), Nemoria mimosaria larvae
feed on a wide variety of trees and shrubs, both deciduous and coniferous.
Handfield (1999) indicates an adult flight season in my general area from
the later part of May to the later part of June.
My records to date for Nemoria mimosaria (each date
representing "the night of") are in the table below: |
