Digrammia equivocata

Ferguson, 2008

equivocal looper

Digrammia equivocata, the equivocal looper, is a in the Geometridae. It was described by Douglas C. Ferguson in 2008 and is native to North America. The species is listed as historic in Massachusetts and as a species of special concern in Connecticut. Its larval plant is Tephrosia virginiana.

Digrammia equivocata by (c) hr_dragonfly, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by hr_dragonfly. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Digrammia equivocata: /dɪˈɡræmiə ˌɛkwɪˈkoʊtɑːtə/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

As a member of the Digrammia, this likely exhibits the characteristic wing patterns typical of the group, though specific diagnostic features distinguishing it from such as D. californiaria and D. muscariata are not documented in available sources. The species was described relatively recently (2008), suggesting it may be cryptic or previously confused with similar .

Images

Distribution

Native to North America. Documented from Manitoba, Canada. Listed as historic in Massachusetts and as a of special concern in Connecticut, United States.

Diet

Larval plant is Tephrosia virginiana (goat's rue). feeding habits unknown.

Host Associations

Tephrosia virginiana - larval plant

Human Relevance

Conservation concern: listed as historic in Massachusetts and as a of special concern in Connecticut. No known economic or agricultural significance.

Similar Taxa

Digrammia californiariaBoth are North American Digrammia ; D. californiaria is known as the California granite moth and has been recorded in large numbers at blacklighting stations in California, whereas D. equivocata has a more restricted and eastern distribution pattern.
Digrammia muscariataAnother congeneric frequently recorded at blacklighting events; D. muscariata has been documented in California while D. equivocata appears restricted to eastern North America based on current records.

More Details

Conservation Status

The has experienced apparent decline in parts of its range, as evidenced by its historic status in Massachusetts and special concern designation in Connecticut. The reasons for this decline are not documented.

Taxonomic History

Described by Douglas C. Ferguson in 2008, making it one of the more recently described in the diverse Geometridae of North America.