White-fringed Emerald (Nemoria mimosaria)

Taxonomy

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

Scientific Name

Nemoria mimosaria

Common Name

white-fringed emerald

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

Brownish body with obvious, fleshy, wing-like subdorsal processes. Brown mottled head with angular lobes; small pair of prothoracic tubercles. Dark brown, sometimes broken, middorsal and subdorsal stripes. Forward-pointing, subdorsal flaps on A2 to A4 (and sometimes other segments); each outgrowth with two spines, the first being longer; upward-pointing, paired dorsal tubercles on A8. Light brown oblique line edged with dark brown on side of some segments; light brown subspiracular stripe on abdomen. Up to 15 mm.

Food

Many trees and shrubs, including balsam fir, eastern hemlock, eastern larch, and spruces.

Life Cycle

One generation. Pupa overwinters in soil or debris. Mature caterpillar present from August to October.

Comments

No other common caterpillar on conifers can be confused with this species. Against a brown or a mottled background, such as a twig or bark, the caterpillar of the white-fringed emerald is cryptic. As the common name suggests, this species develops into a beautiful green moth with a white line through the wings.