Protoboarmia porcelaria

Porcelain Gray
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Geometridae
Genus:	Protoboarmia
Species:	P. porcelaria
Binomial name
Protoboarmia porcelaria (Guenée, 1857)[1]
Synonyms
Boarmia porcelaria

The Porcelain gray (Protoboarmia porcelaria), also known as the Dash-lined looper, is a Geometrid found throughout North America, except in the far north.^[2]

Description

Adult

Adults have a wingspan of 27-30mm. The wings are brown-gray and have crossed brown/gray curved lines. At least one of these lines has a small tooth-like dentation along the length. There is a blotch of black at the postmedian start and a discal spot where the antemedian line crosses the costa. The hindwing discal mark is usually in the center.^[2]

Immature

Mature caterpillars are 25mm in length and have a distinct Y-pattern on segments one through six. There is only one generation a year in the northern range while there are two in its southern range. The head is gray with a cream colored herringbone pattern on the lobes. The body is slim and is mottled gray and white with a white dorsum.^[3][4]

Life cycle

Adult

The female lays around 150 eggs on the foliage of host plants in July.^[3] Adults are seen from May to September.^[2]

Immature

The larvae overwinter in their penultimate instar stage. The larvae awaken and begin feeding in early spring and pupate in June. Immature larvae are phyllophagous and mainly feed upon Balsam fir, Red spruce, Tamarack, White spruce but are also seen on the following.^[3]

Eastern red-cedar, Juniperus virginiana Eastern hemlock, Tsuga canadensis Eastern white pine, Pinus strobus Eastern white-cedar, Thuja occidentalis Ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa Colorado blue spruce, Picea pungens Subalpine fir, Abies lasiocarpa Western hemlock, Tsuga heterophylla Engelmann spruce, Picea engelmannii Pacific silver fir, Abies amabilis

Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga sp. Black spruce, Picea mariana Jack pine, Pinus banksiana Lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta Red pine, Pinus resinosa Scots pine, Pinus sylvestris Sugar maple, Acer saccharum Western red-cedar, Thuja plicata Sitka spruce, Picea sitchensis

References

1. "Species Detail - BMONA". Retrieved 2009-11-17.
2. Robin McLeod. "Species Protoboarmia porcelaria-Porcelain Gay-Hodges#6598-BugGuide". Iowa State University. Retrieved 2009-11-17.
3. Bob Duncan. "Protoboarmia porcelaria (Guenee)". Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2009-11-17.
4. "Dash-lined Looper (Protoboarmia porcelaria)". Retrieved 2009-11-17.

External identifiers for Protoboarmia porcelaria
Encyclopedia of Life	2684372
Also found in: Wikispecies