About the Brown-Lined Looper
Neoalcis californiaria, the Brown-lined looper, is a common North American moth, with a range along the west coast from British Columbia to California. Its larva is a looper (inchworm) caterpillar that feeds on Douglas Fir and other conifers trees. It is identified by the position of three dark lines on each wing and scalloped edges of the hindwing.
Neoalcis is a monotypic genus of moths in the family Geometridae erected by James Halliday McDunnough in 1920. It is the only species in the genus, and was first described by Packard in 1871. The wingspan is about 34 mm.
The Brown-lined Looper's ground color ranges from ashy gray, to light brown to dark brown, with numerous brown speckles and variable patches of darker shading between crosslines. Wing edges are scalloped. It has three dark transverse lines on both forewing and hindwing, however the middle line may be obscure. When in a resting posture, with wings spread, the darkest crossline (the PM line) of the hindwing is set lower and dose not line up with the darkest line of the forewing.
On the forewing, the basal line is curved convexly and ends on the costa at the basal third. The middle line is broader towards... Wikipedia →