Soft-lined Wave
Scopula inductata
Like other geometer moths, their caterpillars are 'inchworms' that perfectly mimic tiny twigs to hide from hungry birds.
- Scientific name
- Scopula inductata
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Geometridae › Scopula
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Meadows, old fields, grasslands, and open woodland edges.
- Diet
- Caterpillars feed on low-growing herbaceous plants like clover and dandelions; adults drink flower nectar.
- Range
- North America
- Size
- Wingspan of 18-22 mm
- Lifespan
- 1 to 2 weeks as an adult
- Active
- nocturnal
- Threats
- Pesticide use, light pollution, and loss of meadow habitats to monoculture lawns.
- Safe to approach?
- Completely harmless and safe to observe from any distance. If one flutters near you, let it rest; if it lands on your skin, gently nudging it with a leaf will encourage it to crawl off safely.
Scopula inductata ( soft-lined wave ) is a moth of the family Geometridae. It was described by Guenée in 1857. It is found in North America, east of the Rocky Mountains, from Newfoundland to the coast of British Columbia, north to the Northwest Territories, south to Alabama and at least Utah.
Photo: Rose Zappa, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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