Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
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View PDFGeometridae Members:
Orthonama Members:
568 NC Records

Orthonama obstipata (Fabricius, 1794) - Gem Moth


Taxonomy
Superfamily: Geometroidea Family: GeometridaeSubfamily: LarentiinaeTribe: XanthorhoiniP3 Number: 910258.00 MONA Number: 7414.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A small Wave that is strongly sexually dimorphic. Females are distinctively reddish-brown and have a conspicuous round white discal spot with a black center. Males are lighter brown with a blackish median area; the discal spot is dark. Female Costaconvexa centrostrigaria are similar to male obstipata in possessing a blacking median band, but have contrasting bands of chocolate brown between the black median area and the whitish antemedian and postmedian lines, whereas these areas are paler brown in obstipata, not contrasting with the ground color (Forbes, 1948). The apex is also marked with a dark wedge in centrostrigaria but is pale in obstipata and bounded below by a dark dash or shade. Additionally, the postmedian in obstipata is usually incurved where it meets the costa but is either slightly excurved or straight in centrostrigaria.
Wingspan: 15-18 mm
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.
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Our records come from essentially the entire spectrum of open and forested habitats in the state.
Larval Host Plants: Forbes (1948) lists Polygonum and other forbs as host plants. Covell (1984) adds Chrysanthemum, Dock (Rumex), Elm, Mayweed (Matricaria species), Ragworts (Senecio species). - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Forests and Fields
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 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 Orthonama obstipata - Gem Moth

244 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

Recorded by: John Petranka, Chuck Smith on 2024-03-14
Bladen Co.
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Recorded by: David George, Becky Watkins on 2024-03-14
Durham Co.
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Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-03-12
Wake Co.
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Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-03-11
Bladen Co.
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Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2024-03-08
Buncombe Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-03-07
Brunswick Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-03-05
Wilson Co.
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Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2024-02-12
Transylvania Co.
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Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-02-03
Carteret Co.
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Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-02-02
Wake Co.
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Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2024-01-26
Durham Co.
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Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-01-03
Carteret Co.
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Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2023-12-15
Durham Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-11-22
Brunswick Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-11-18
Wilson Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-11-16
Wilson Co.
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Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2023-11-10
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-11-07
Wilson Co.
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Recorded by: R. Newman on 2023-11-04
Carteret Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-10-09
Brunswick Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-09-24
Wilson Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-09-17
Brunswick Co.
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Recorded by: R. Newman on 2023-09-16
Carteret Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-09-01
Wilson Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-09-01
Wilson Co.
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Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-24
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2023-07-22
Durham Co.
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Recorded by: David George, Steve Hall, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Becky Watkins on 2023-07-22
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-07-17
Wilson Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-07-17
Wilson Co.
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