About Macaria pustularia (Guenée, 1857)
Scientific name: Macaria pustularia (Guenée, 1857). This species is commonly called the lesser maple spanworm.
Description: Adult Macaria pustularia have white wings, with wavy orange-yellow lines running across both the forewings and hindwings. These lines are typically thicker along the top edge of the forewing. The adult wingspan measures 18–27 mm.
Range and Habitat: The lesser maple spanworm occurs across a geographic range extending from Nova Scotia south to Florida, west to Mississippi, and north to North Dakota and Saskatchewan. It is most commonly found in deciduous and mixed forests.
Ecology: The larvae of Macaria pustularia feed on the leaves of maple trees, with a strong preference for Acer rubrum (red maple). Although A. rubrum is the primary host for larvae, they may also feed on the leaves of Acer saccharum (sugar maple) and Acer saccharinum (silver maple). Larvae have also been recorded feeding on birch, cherry, poplar, Abies (fir), Tsuga (hemlock), and tamarack.
