Species Details
Macaria ribearia
University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum Read more about this collection »
Common NameCurrant Spanworm
SeasonalityAdults from early July to mid August.
IdentificationGround colour pale to buttery yellow with variable maroon-brown markings. A series of three to four evenly-spaced brown dashes are usually present along the forewing costa. The brown patch present in the submarginal area sometimes forms a larger, broad submarginal band. Hindwing slightly paler, occasionally with a visible AM and PM line. Similar to M. sulphurea and M. occiduaria, but the wing fringe is yellow, not partially or entirely brown. There are also genitalic differences, illustrated by Forbes (1948) and McGuffin (1972).
Scientific Name
Macaria ribearia
Common Name
Currant Spanworm
Habitat
Open woodlands and shrubby areas with currents or gooseberry.
Seasonality
Adults from early July to mid August.
Identification
Ground colour pale to buttery yellow with variable maroon-brown markings. A series of three to four evenly-spaced brown dashes are usually present along the forewing costa. The brown patch present in the submarginal…
Ground colour pale to buttery yellow with variable maroon-brown markings. A series of three to four evenly-spaced brown dashes are usually present along the forewing costa. The brown patch present in the submarginal area sometimes forms a larger, broad submarginal band. Hindwing slightly paler, occasionally with a visible AM and PM line. Similar to M. sulphurea and M. occiduaria, but the wing fringe is yellow, not partially or entirely brown. There are also genitalic differences, illustrated by Forbes (1948) and McGuffin (1972).
Conservation
Not of concern
Diet Info
Larvae feed on the foliage of currants and gooseberries (Ribes spp.).
Range
Southern Alberta east to southwestern Quebec (McGuffin 1972). In Alberta it is known from the Lethbridge - Waterton region. There are few Alberta records.
Citation
Page Citation for Macaria ribearia
Page Citation
"Species Details - Macaria ribearia, University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum." University of Alberta Museums Search Site, https://search.museums.ualberta.ca/g/2-3888. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.
References
Author
McGuffin, W. C.
Title
Guide to the Geometridae of Canada. II. Subfamily Ennominae. 1.
Publication Date
1972
Series Title
Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Canada
Volume
86
Pages
159
Author
Forbes, William T. M.
Title
Lepidoptera of New York & neighbouring states : Part 2
Publication Date
1948
Series Title
Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station. Memoir
Pages
263
Specimen Information
There are 7 specimens of this Species.
UASM9204 - Macaria ribearia
University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum
Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Lethbridge
Collected ByBowman, K.
Date Collected1923-07-14
UASM9205 - Macaria ribearia
University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum
Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Lethbridge
Collected ByBowman, K.
Date Collected1922-07-13
UASM9207 - Macaria ribearia
University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum
Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Waterton Lakes National Park, Waterton Park
Collected ByBowman, K.
Date Collected1923-07-13
UASM9211 - Macaria ribearia
University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum
Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Orion
Collected ByBowman, K.
Date Collected1949-08-11
UASM9217 - Macaria ribearia
University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum
Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Lethbridge
Collected ByBowman, K.
Date Collected1922-07-08
UASM9224 - Macaria ribearia
University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum
Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Lethbridge
Collected ByBowman, K.
Date Collected1922-07-13
UASM35837 - Macaria ribearia
University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum
Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Lethbridge
Collected ByStrickland, E. H.
Date Collected1925-07-28