University of Alberta Museums Search

Scientific Name Plagodis pulveraria Common Name American Barred Umber Habitat Deciduous and mixedwood forest and woodlands. Seasonality Peak flight activity in Alberta is mid May through mid June. Identification

A mid-sized geometrid, ground colour tan heavily speckled with red-brown and a broad dark red-brown forewing median band with a straight AM border and an irregular PM border. Hindwing with dark PM line, heaviest at…

A mid-sized geometrid, ground colour tan heavily speckled with red-brown and a broad dark red-brown forewing median band with a straight AM border and an irregular PM border. Hindwing with dark PM line, heaviest at the anal margin. No other Alberta geometrid has a broad, evenly coloured median band like that of P. pulveraria.

Read More + Life History

Adults are active both during the day and at night, and come to lights. A fairly common moth in the central boreal region of the province. The larvae are twig mimics, and pupate prior to winter among leaves tied…

Adults are active both during the day and at night, and come to lights. A fairly common moth in the central boreal region of the province. The larvae are twig mimics, and pupate prior to winter among leaves tied together with silk (McGuffin 1987).

Read More + Conservation Not of concern. Diet Info

Larvae are generalists on deciduous and coniferous trees and shrubs, perhaps with a preference for the rose family; reported hosts include saskatoon (Amelanchier), choke cherry (Prunus), raspberry (Rubus), shrubby…

Larvae are generalists on deciduous and coniferous trees and shrubs, perhaps with a preference for the rose family; reported hosts include saskatoon (Amelanchier), choke cherry (Prunus), raspberry (Rubus), shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla), paper birch (Betula), alder (Alnus), willows (Salix), white spruce (Picea) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga).

Read More + Range Coastal BC east to Newfoundland, and from Ft. Smith, NWT south to CA, SD and GA (McGuffin 1987, Wagner et al. 2001).