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“A forest gem”
Species: Wavy-lined Emerald Moth, Synchlora aerata, male
“This photo features a beautiful Wavy-lined Emerald Moth sitting on a mossy log. Taking a break from its adventures through the trees, this moth is displaying all of its beauty for us to appreciate.”
by Alexander McKerracher (Canada)
Royal Entomological Society’s Insect Photo Competition
Aren't these caterpillars something? They blend in with their host flowers by sticking flower bits all over themselves. I believe they will grow up to be Wavy-lined Emerald moths.
Cochise County, Arizona, June 2025.
Hi! Have you done the wavy-lined emerald moth yet?
Moth Of The Day #125
Wavy-lined Emerald Moth / Camouflaged Looper
Synchlora aerata
From the geometridae family. They have a wingspan of about 17 mm. They occupy a large variety of habitats. They can be found in the United States and Canada.
[photo credit: Julianna Schroeder, Carroll Rudy]
todays lepidopteran is the wavy-lined emerald moth (Synchlora aerata), also called the camouflaged looper!
its caterpillar is a looper/inchworm that decorates itself with plant pieces to camouflage itself!
Synchlora Aerata aslo known as Wavy-Lined Emerald Moth or Camouflage Looper is part of the Geometridae family! They are found in most of North America! This one was found on my front porch!
Wavy-lined emerald, Synchlora aerata! These little guys have crazy caterpillars that attach bits of whatever they feed on to themselves and end up looking like a punk haircut!
These inchworms are small and so perfectly camouflaged that I didn't notice them for the longest time. I believe they are Wavy-lined Emerald Moth caterpillars.*
The ones in the yard eat prairie coneflower and blend in by sticking flower bits all over themselves. They are tiny wonders, common from late summer to fall.
Cochise County, Arizona, October 2024.
*(Synchlora aerata, also called camouflaged loopers; read more on iNaturalist and see lots of photos on BugGuide).
