Hemlock Angle (Macaria fissinotata)

Taxonomy

Domain	Eukarya
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Arthropoda
Subphylum	Hexapoda
Class	Insecta
Subclass	Pterygota
Infraclass	Neoptera
Superorder	Holometabola
Order	Lepidoptera
Superfamily	Geometroidea
Family	Geometridae
Subfamily	Ennominae
Tribe	Macariini
Genus	Macaria

Scientific Name

Macaria fissinotata

Common Name

hemlock angle moth

Maier, C.T.; Lemmon, C.R.; Fengler, J.M.; Schweitzer, D.F.; Reardon, R.C.; Caterpillars on the Foliage of Conifers in the Northeastern United States. Morgantown, WV. USDA Forest Service. Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. FHTET-2004-01. March 2004. 151 p.

Description

Green body with darkly marked head, with largely bluish white dorsum, and with pale stripes. Grayish green head with lobes streaked with brown to reddish brown; streak on lobes with dark brown herringbone pattern and with yellow margins (extensions of subdorsal and spiracular stripes); reddish to dark brown thoracic legs. Dark green middorsal stripe distinctly edged with white; bluish white frosting over most of dorsum; white subdorsal stripe with narrow, dark green longitudinal line immediately below. White spiracular stripe tinged with yellow near spiracles; narrow yellowish band at hind margin of segments. Up to 22 mm.

Food

Balsam fir, eastern hemlock, and uncommonly spruces.

Life Cycle

One to two generations. Pupa overwinters in soil or debris. Mature caterpillar present from July to November.

Comments

Even though the spiracular stripes usually are less distinct in this species than the spruce fir looper, Macaria signaria dispuncta, the identification of these species should be based upon reared adults. Both caterpillars are well camouflaged on the foliage of their food plants. The hemlock angle formerly was known as Semiothisa fissinotata.