Conservation Status
fourni par University of Alberta Museums
Not of concern.
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Cyclicity
fourni par University of Alberta Museums
Flies in June and July, with Peak activity in early July.
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Distribution
fourni par University of Alberta Museums
Nova Scotia to southern interior BC, south to CO and GA (McGuffin 1981).
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General Description
fourni par University of Alberta Museums
A bright yellow geometrid, with the PM band of reduced to a few maroon-brown spots. The AM band is usually only present as a brown spot at the forewing costa; variable maroon speckling overall. Difficult to separate reliably from X. sospeta without genitalic dissection, see McGuffin (1981). Sospeta is slightly larger and paler yellow than urticaria, with narrower and relatively smaller maroon markings.
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Habitat
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Deciduous and mixedwood forest.
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Life Cycle
fourni par University of Alberta Museums
Adults are nocturnal and come to lights, but are also active during the day and are easily flushed from shrubs in aspen forest understory. Females are capable of laying over 800 eggs (McGuffin 1981). Larvae are twig mimics and rest with their body fully extended, like a twig on a branch, and feign death when disturbed (Wagner et al. 2001). In Alberta, this species is the more common of the two Xanthotype species.
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Trophic Strategy
fourni par University of Alberta Museums
Larvae are generalists on a low growing shrubs and herbs, including Salix, Cornus and Viburnum (McGuffin 1981).
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