About Antepione thisoaria (Guenée)
Antepione thisoaria, commonly known as the variable antepione, is a moth species belonging to the family Geometridae. It has a broad distribution across North and Central America. In Canada, it ranges from Nova Scotia west to Manitoba. In the United States, it extends south and west from Canada to the Gulf states, with confirmed occurrences in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The species is also found in Michoacan, Mexico, and ranges further south to Costa Rica and Guatemala. The wingspan of adult Antepione thisoaria measures between 27 and 40 mm. Adults show both seasonal and sexual dimorphism across all forms, but all individuals share two consistent visible traits: the middle of the outer margin of both the hindwing and forewing is conspicuously pointed, and there is usually a dark triangular patch along the costa near the apex of the forewing, though this patch may be absent in females. The spring brood of both sexes has mottled light brown wings, the form classified as "furciferata". Summer brood males have bright yellow wings with reddish-brown shading, while summer brood females have entirely yellow wings. Adults can be found in flight in two main periods: from April to May, with occasional recorded sightings as early as mid-March and as late as mid-June, and from July to August, with occasional recorded sightings from September to mid-October. There is one generation per year in Canada, and at least two generations per year in regions south of Canada. Larvae of this species have been recorded feeding on plant species from the families Aceraceae, Anacardiaceae, Betulaceae, Ebenaceae, and Rosaceae. Recorded host plants include Alnus rugosa, Physocarpus opulifolius, and Prunus serotina.
