Common NameDog-face GeometerSeasonalityOne of the first geometrid moths to emerge in spring, flying from mid-April to early June in AlbertaIdentificationA large geometrid, the thin wings and proportionately small body gives it a "flimsy" demeanor. Ground colour light grey with black speckling, often with shades of brown along the forewing costa and apex. The jagged AM and PM lines resemble a dog's head in profile, with the white discal spot forming the eye. The extent of the forewing dark markings, including the transverse lines, can be extremely variable, resulting in well-marked, contrasting individuals to almost unmarked grey ones.
Scientific NameSpodolepis danbyiCommon Name
Dog-face Geometer
Habitat
Mixedwood and coniferous forest.
Seasonality
One of the first geometrid moths to emerge in spring, flying from mid-April to early June in Alberta
Identification
A large geometrid, the thin wings and proportionately small body gives it a "flimsy" demeanor. Ground colour light grey with black speckling, often with shades of brown along the forewing costa and apex. The jagged AM…
A large geometrid, the thin wings and proportionately small body gives it a "flimsy" demeanor. Ground colour light grey with black speckling, often with shades of brown along the forewing costa and apex. The jagged AM and PM lines resemble a dog's head in profile, with the white discal spot forming the eye. The extent of the forewing dark markings, including the transverse lines, can be extremely variable, resulting in well-marked, contrasting individuals to almost unmarked grey ones.
Life History
McGuffin (1981) details the early stages. The mature larva (illustrated in Wagner et al. 2001) shows an intricate pattern of black and brown, resembling tree bark or a twig. As a defensive mechanism, larvae are able…
McGuffin (1981) details the early stages. The mature larva (illustrated in Wagner et al. 2001) shows an intricate pattern of black and brown, resembling tree bark or a twig. As a defensive mechanism, larvae are able to "snap" their bodies, jumping off their resting perch. The pupa overwinters in a thin cocoon in leaf litter (Hardy 1957).
Conservation
Not of concern.
Diet Info
Larvae have variously been reported as feeding on willows (Salix, trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides), lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga) (McGuffin 1981). In Alberta, this species has been…
Larvae have variously been reported as feeding on willows (Salix, trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides), lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga) (McGuffin 1981). In Alberta, this species has been found only in association with conifers, and is apparently absent from the aspen parkland and prairie regions.
Range
Alaska, Yukon and BC east to Nova Scotia, south to New York and California (McGuffin 1981, Wagner et al. 2001).
Citation
Page Citation for Spodolepis danbyi
Page Citation
"Species Details - Spodolepis danbyi, University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum." University of Alberta Museums Search Site, https://search.museums.ualberta.ca/g/2-4197. Accessed 05 Jul. 2025.
References
AuthorWagner, D.L, D.L. Ferguson, T.L. McCabe and R.C. Reardon
TitleGeometroid Caterpillars of Northeastern and Appalachian Forests
Publication Date2001
Pages239
AuthorMcGuffin, W. C.
TitleGuide to the Geometridae of Canada (Lepidoptera): II. Subfamily Ennominae. 3
Publication Date1981
Series TitleMemoirs of the Entomological Society of Canada
Volume117
Pages153
AuthorHardy, G. A.
TitleNotes on the Life Histories of five species of Lepidoptera from southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Publication Date1957
Series TitleProceedings of the Entomological Society of British Columbia
Volume54
Pages42-43
Specimen Information
There are 50 specimens of this Species.
50 results plotted on map in 14 markers. Note: Only records with latitude and longitude coordinates are plotted on map.