Feralia deceptiva McDunnough 1920

Feralia deceptiva McDunnough, 1920, Canad. Ent., 52:162, fig. 2 male genitalia.

Diagnosis: Feralia deceptiva is the sister species of jocosa. No consistent differences have been found the male or female genitalia of the two species. Feralia deceptiva is significantly larger than jocosa; forewing length between base and apex is 17 18 mm in deceptiva but only 14 16 mm in jocosa. Secondly deceptiva appears to lack the individual variability of jocosa and is always uniform apple green. Other differences in superficial appearance were discussed under jocosa. Wing length from base to apex: mean = 17.98 mm., standard deviation = 0.47 mm., n = 10.

Distribution: Feralia deceptiva is found primarily along the Pacific Coast from Vancouver in the north and southward through Washington and Oregon to central California. A specimen has been seen from western Alberta. The adults fly in the spring.

Identification Quality: Excellent

Larva: Crumb (1956) describes the larvae. The larva is essentially the same as in jocosa, but the subdorsal and subventral lines are continous and not broken up into segments as in jocosa.

Foodplants: Crumb (1956) records the foodplant as Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii).

Similar Species

Feralia jocosa