Geometridae: Geometer Moths of Hawai'i I

Brief description

Geometridae is a very large family of moths (Order:Lepidoptera) consisting of 35,000 described species. The name is derived from the latin word 'geometra' which means 'earth-measurer', referring to the movement of the caterpillar larvae.  Although they are strikingly butterfly-like in appearance, they are in fact moths.  Male antennae are feathered, most of them fly at night and they have a frenulum linking the wings.  One of the more popular and endemic Hawaiian geometrids is Eupithecia sp. Species within this genus are carnivorous predators only in Hawaii, feeding on insects instead of plant matter like their non-native counterparts. These sit-and-wait predators have raptorial claws structured for holding their prey, and appendages on their abdomens for trigger response. Another endemic, but invasive species is the Koa moth (Scotorythra paludicola).  Historic outbreaks and population explosions have resulted in mass defoliation of mature Koa trees. Please do your part and help transcribe geometrid specimens from our insect museum.  This expedition of 429 tasks is fully transcribed and validated.

Notes

Includes: point occurrence data