Biodiversity Database of Washington DC

Arthropoda: Insecta: Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Paleacrita vernata

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Scientific name: Arthropoda: Insecta: Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Paleacrita vernata
Common Name: Spring Cankerworm Moth

Country: USA
State/District: DC
County: not applicable
Date: January 2001

Photographer: D. S. Kjar

Identifier: D. S. Kjar
Collector: not applicable

Location: Observatory Hill

Georgetown University

Keywords: A egg Spring Cankerworm Moth wingless female
Additional Information:

This female Spring Cankerworm laid her eggs on the wall of the GU Observatory during a warm spell in January. 2001. She stayed near her eggs for over 1 week, perhaps guarding its eggs from parasitoids.

Fig 1. Laying eggs on 26 January 2001.

Fig 2. Standing over her eggs on 26 January 2001.

Fig 3. Ditto on 30 January 2001.

Fig 4. Ditto on 30 January 2001.

Fig 5. Eight days after she laid her eggs. She probably passed on by this time. Her eggs hatched in early April. In February 2002, females of this same species returned to the same spot on the Observatory wall. The winter of 2002 was unusually mild and reached the 70's in January. On February 10th of 2004, females of this species were seen on the walls of the ecology laboratory, several yards from this spot on the Observatory. The winter of 2003-4 was very cold with extended periods of snow.
On February 16th of 2005 I noticed a Cankerworm on the ecology lab at Observatory Hill, but it looked like it had already laid its eggs. It probably emerged several days prior to my observation.

D. S. K.

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Scientific name: Arthropoda: Insecta: Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Paleacrita vernata
Common Name: Spring Cankerworm Moth

Country: USA
State/District: DC
County: n/a
Date: January 2001

Photographer: D. S. Kjar

Identifier: D. S. Kjar
Collector: not applicable

Location: Observatory Hill

Georgetown University

Keywords: A egg Spring Cankerworm Moth wingless female
Additional Information:

These eggs hatched in early April 2001. Please see the other entry for P. vernatafor more information.

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Scientific name: Arthropoda: Insecta: Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Paleacrita vernata
Common Name: Spring Cankerworm Moth

Country: USA
State/District: MI
County: Washtenaw
Date: 21 Sept 2001

Photographer: J. J. Cravens

Identifier: E. M. Barrows
Collector: E. M. Barrows
Location:
Keywords: A Spring Cankerworm Moth wingless female
Additional Information:

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Scientific name: Arthropoda: Insecta: Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Paleacrita vernata
Common Name: Spring Cankerworm Moth

Country: USA
State/District: MI
County: Washtenaw
Date: 18 March 1968

Photographer: J. J. Cravens

Identifier: E. M. Barrows
Collector: E. M. Barrows
Location: Residence of Professor Warren H. Wagner, Jr.
Keywords: A egg Spring Cankerworm Moth male
Additional Information:

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