Xanthotype sospeta

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

Common NameCrocus Geometer SeasonalityFlies in June and July, with Peak activity in early July. IdentificationA bright yellow geometrid, with the PM band of reduced to a few maroon-brown spots. The AM band is usually only present as a brown spot at the forewing costa; variable maroon speckling overall. Difficult to separate reliably from X. sospeta without genitalic dissection, see McGuffin (1981). Sospeta is slightly larger and paler yellow than urticaria, with narrower and relatively smaller maroon markings.

Scientific Name Xanthotype sospeta Common Name Crocus Geometer Habitat Deciduous and mixedwood forest. Seasonality Flies in June and July, with Peak activity in early July. Identification

A bright yellow geometrid, with the PM band of reduced to a few maroon-brown spots. The AM band is usually only present as a brown spot at the forewing costa; variable maroon speckling overall. Difficult to separate reliably from X. sospeta without genitalic dissection, see McGuffin (1981). Sospeta is slightly larger and paler yellow than urticaria, with narrower and relatively smaller maroon markings.

Life History

Adults are nocturnal and come to lights, but are also active during the day and are easily flushed from shrubs in aspen forest understory. Females are capable of laying over 800 eggs (McGuffin 1981). Larvae are twig mimics and rest with their body fully extended, like a twig on a branch, and feign death when disturbed (Wagner et al. 2001). In Alberta, this species is the more common of the two Xanthotype species.

Conservation Not of concern. Diet Info Larvae are generalists on a low growing shrubs and herbs, including Salix, Cornus and Viburnum (McGuffin 1981). Range Nova Scotia to southern interior BC, south to CO and GA (McGuffin 1981).

Page Citation

"Species Details - Xanthotype sospeta, University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum." University of Alberta Museums Search Site, https://search.museums.ualberta.ca/g/2-4305/9-16025. Accessed 02 Jan. 2025.

References

76 results plotted on map in 23 markers.
Note: Only records with latitude and longitude coordinates are plotted on map.

UASM10000 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1917-07-08

UASM9965 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Date Collected1918-06-23

UASM9966 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Date Collected1917-06-28

UASM9967 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1917-06-28

UASM9977 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByGray, Harold E. Date Collected1928-07-04

UASM9978 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1931-07-17

UASM9983 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Date Collected1917-07-05

UASM9984 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1920-07-31

UASM9985 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Date Collected1915-06-23

UASM9986 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Date Collected1916-06-25

UASM9988 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Date Collected1915-06-23

UASM9991 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Red Deer Collected ByCrosby, G. C. S. Date Collected1923-06-23

UASM9992 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1941-06-14

UASM9993 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Date Collected1917-06-18

UASM9994 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Date Collected1917-07-07

UASM9995 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1919-07-05

UASM9996 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Red Deer Collected ByWhitehouse, F. C. Date Collected1916-07-08

UASM9998 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1917-06-28

UASM43228 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta Collected ByLawrie, D. Date Collected1998-06-10

UASM43229 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta Collected ByLawrie, D. Date Collected1998-06-14

UASM43230 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta Collected ByLawrie, D. Date Collected1998-06-17

Adult Seasonal Distribution

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Species Details