Hypagyrtis piniata

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum Read more about this collection »

Common NamePine Variant SeasonalityAdults fly in July in BC. No information available for Alberta. IdentificationThe hindwing margin is slightly more scalloped in Hypagyrtis than other similar, mid-sized grey geometrids; it is otherwise difficult to characterize this genus externally without visual comparison to similar species in the Boarmiini such as Aethalura, Iridopsis and Protoboarmia. This genus is taxonomically very difficult, and there are no reliable genitalic differences among piniata and unipunctaria; H. piniata is associated only with conifers in Alberta, and supposedly lacks the brownish shading in the subterminal area found in H. unipunctaria. Piniata females are much smaller than unipunctaria, with a wingspan of about 32mm compared to 38 - 40mm for unipunctaria; piniata males are only slightly smaller than unipunctaria, with slightly less scalloped hindwing margins (Handfield 1999).

Scientific Name Hypagyrtis piniata Common Name Pine Variant Habitat Mixedwood and coniferous boreal forest. Seasonality Adults fly in July in BC. No information available for Alberta. Identification

The hindwing margin is slightly more scalloped in Hypagyrtis than other similar, mid-sized grey geometrids; it is otherwise difficult to characterize this genus externally without visual comparison to similar species in the Boarmiini such as Aethalura, Iridopsis and Protoboarmia. This genus is taxonomically very difficult, and there are no reliable genitalic differences among piniata and unipunctaria; H. piniata is associated only with conifers in Alberta, and supposedly lacks the brownish shading in the subterminal area found in H. unipunctaria. Piniata females are much smaller than unipunctaria, with a wingspan of about 32mm compared to 38 - 40mm for unipunctaria; piniata males are only slightly smaller than unipunctaria, with slightly less scalloped hindwing margins (Handfield 1999).

Life History The mottled green, brown and black larva resembles a conifer twig, and overwinters exposed on tree trunks and branches (Wagner et al. 2001). Adults come to light (Handfield 1999). Conservation Not of concern. Diet Info

Larvae feed on conifers, especially balsam fir (Abies), white spruce (Picea), jack pine (Pinus)and tamarack (Larix)(Prentice 1963). Despite their apparently broad acceptance of conifer hosts, this species is not know…

Range Nova Scotia to north-central Alberta, with a possibly disjunct population in interior BC. South in the East to Minnesota, Mississippi, Maryland and Georgia (McGuffin 1977, Wagner et al. 2001).

Page Citation

"Species Details - Hypagyrtis piniata, University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum." University of Alberta Museums Search Site, https://search.museums.ualberta.ca/g/2-4207/9-15825. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

References

4 results plotted on map in 4 markers.
Note: Only records with latitude and longitude coordinates are plotted on map.

UASM9751 - Hypagyrtis piniata

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Drumheller Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1946-06-14

UASM9758 - Hypagyrtis piniata

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Lloydminster Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1941-06-24

UASM95874 - Hypagyrtis piniata

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Caribou Mountains Wildland Park, Wentzel Lake Collected ByMacaulay, D. A.; Macaulay, S. H. Date Collected2003-07-12

BIRD33520 - Hypagyrtis piniata

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Winfield Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2010-07-10

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Species Details