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Species Details

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…
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…
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).

Citation

Page Citation for Xanthotype sospeta

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/2-4305/9-86946. Accessed 01 Dec. 2024.

References

Specimen Information

There are 76 specimens of this Species.

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

UASM43231 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta Collected ByLawrie, D. Date Collected1998-06-18

BIRD3391 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Erskine Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2000-07-04

BIRD3392 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Erskine Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2000-07-04

BIRD3393 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Winfield Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2000-07-06

BIRD3394 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Erskine Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2000-07-11

BIRD3395 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Erskine Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2000-07-11

BIRD3396 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Erskine Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2000-07-12

BIRD3397 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Winfield Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2000-07-29

BIRD3398 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Rochon Sands Provincial Park Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2001-07-03

BIRD3399 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Rochon Sands Provincial Park Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2001-07-03

BIRD3400 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Erskine Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2001-07-06

BIRD3401 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Erskine Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2001-07-06

BIRD3402 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Erskine Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2002-07-03

BIRD3403 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Red Deer Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2002-07-10

BIRD3404 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Winfield Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2002-07-13

BIRD3405 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Erskine Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2002-07-15

BIRD3406 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Rochon Sands Provincial Park Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2003-07-03

BIRD3407 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Winfield Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2003-07-04

BIRD3408 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Big Knife Provincial Park Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2003-07-08

UASM41955 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Holmes Crossing Sandhills Ecological Reserve Collected ByAnweiler, G. G. Date Collected2002-07-06

BIRD6902 - Xanthotype sospeta

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Rochon Sands Provincial Park Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2004-06-27

Adult Seasonal Distribution