''Synchlora aerata'', the wavy-lined emerald moth or camouflaged looper, is a species of

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

of the family

Geometridae The geometer moths are moths belonging to the family Geometridae of the insect order Lepidoptera, the moths and butterflies. Their scientific name derives from the Ancient Greek ''geo'' γεω (derivative form of or "the earth"), and ''met ...

. The species was described by

Johan Christian Fabricius Johan Christian Fabricius (7 January 1745 – 3 March 1808) was a Danish zoologist, specialising in "Insecta", which at that time included all arthropods: insects, arachnids, crustaceans and others. He was a student of Carl Linnaeus, and is cons ...

in 1798. It is found in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. The

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingspan of ...

is about 17 mm. The larvae are ''

loopers ''Loopers'' is a Japanese science fiction visual novel developed by Key, a brand of Visual Arts. It was released on May 28, 2021 for Windows and is Key's 15th game overall. It was ported to iOS and Android devices, as well as the Nintendo Switch ...

'' (inchworms) like the rest in the family. They feed on composite flowers, shrubs, and trees. Recorded food plants include ''

Aster Aster or ASTER may refer to: Biology * ''Aster'' (genus), a genus of flowering plants ** List of ''Aster'' synonyms, other genera formerly included in ''Aster'' and still called asters in English * Aster (cell biology), a cellular structure shap ...

'', ''

Rudbeckia ''Rudbeckia'' () is a plant genus in the Asteraceae or composite family. Rudbeckia flowers feature a prominent, raised central disc in black, brown shades of green, and in-between tones, giving rise to their familiar common names of coneflowers a ...

'', ''

Liatris ''Liatris'' (), commonly known as gayfeather and blazing star. is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Eupatorieae within the family Asteraceae native to North America (Canada, United States, Mexico and the Bahamas). Some species are used ...

'', ''

Solidago ''Solidago'', commonly called goldenrods, is a genus of about 100 to 120''Solidago''.
F ...

'', ''

Artemisia Artemisia may refer to: People * Artemisia I of Caria (fl. 480 BC), queen of Halicarnassus under the First Persian Empire, naval commander during the second Persian invasion of Greece * Artemisia II of Caria (died 350 BC), queen of Caria under th ...

'', ''

Achillea ''Achillea'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, known colloquially as yarrows. The plants typically have frilly leaves. The common name "yarrow" usually refers to '' A. millefolium''. The genus was named after the Gre ...

'' and ''

Rubus ''Rubus'' is a large and diverse genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, subfamily Rosoideae, with over 1,350 species. Raspberries, blackberries, and dewberries are common, widely distributed members of the genus. Most of these ...

'' species. The species overwinters as a partially grown larva. The caterpillars employ the unusual behavior of affixing bits of the plant tissue on which they are feeding to the several large spines on their back. This provides cover from '' gleaning birds'' that rely on keen eyesight. The camouflage can also block smaller animals from sensing them.

Subspecies

*''Synchlora aerata aerata'' (Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Arkansas, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, southern Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Maryland) *''Synchlora aerata albolineata'' Packard, 1873 (from Newfoundland to Alberta and south to Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, Maine, New England, Massachusetts, northern Connecticut. It is also found in southern Manitoba) *''Synchlora aerata liquoraria'' Guenée, 1857 (from California, Arizona and New Mexico to British Columbia and Alberta. It is also found in South Dakota) File:Synchlora aerata caterpillar.jpg, Caterpillar with plant pieces as camouflage File:Synchlora aerata pupa cocoon.jpg, Pupa with part of its cocoon made of plant pieces as camouflage

References

External links

Image of larva attaching pieces of flower to its back
{{Taxonbar, from=Q550030 Moths described in 1798 Synchlorini