Common name: Pale Green Pinion Moth
Scientific name: Lithophane viridipallens Grote, 1877

Class:
Insecta (Insects)
Order:
Lepidoptera (Butterflies, Skippers, and Moths)
Family:
Noctuidae (Owlet Moths)
Synonyms:
Other common names:

Habitat type(s):
Habitat description(s)

Ecological systems and subsytems (about):
TERRESTRIAL - FORESTED UPLANDS:
Coastal oak-holly forest* (guide)
A semi-deciduous to mixed deciduous-evergreen broadleaf forest that occurs on somewhat moist and moderately well drained silt and sandy loams in low areas on morainal plateaus. In New York State this forest is best developed on the narrow peninsulas of eastern Long Island. The trees are usually not stunted, and are removed from the pruning effects of severe salt spray. The dominant canopy trees are black oak, black gum, red maple, and American beech. American holly is abundant in the subcanopy and tall shrub layers.
PALUSTRINE - FORESTED PEATLANDS:
Coastal plain Atlantic white cedar swamp* (guide)
A swamp that occurs on organic soils along streams and in poorly drained depressions of the coastal plain. Atlantic white cedar makes up over 50% of the canopy cover. In mixed stands in New York, red maple is the codominant tree.
TERRESTRIAL - BARRENS AND WOODLANDS:
Dwarf pine plains (guide)
A woodland community dominated by dwarf individuals of pitch pine and scrub oak that occurs on nearly level outwash sand and gravel plains in eastern Long Island. The soils are infertile, coarse textured sands that are excessively well-drained.
PALUSTRINE - OPEN MINERAL SOIL WETLANDS:
Shrub swamp* (guide)
An inland wetland dominated by tall shrubs that occurs along the shore of a lake or river, in a wet depression or valley not associated with lakes, or as a transition zone between a marsh, fen, or bog and a swamp or upland community. Shrub swamps are very common and quite variable.

* probable association but not confirmed.


Conservation:
Global conservation status rank:
G5
Secure globally - Common in the world; widespread and abundant (but may be rare in some parts of its range).
State conservation status rank:
S1
Critically Imperiled in New York - Especially vulnerable to disappearing from New York due to extreme rarity or other factors; typically 5 or fewer populations or locations in New York, very few individuals, very restricted range, very few remaining acres (or miles of stream), and/or very steep declines.
Federal protection:
Not Listed
State protection:
Not Listed
Not listed or protected by New York State.
SGCN:
NYNHP track status:
Y: Track all extant and selected historical EOs

More information:
Conservation guide:
https://guides.nynhp.org/pale-green-pinion-moth/
NatureServe explorer link:
https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.110217/Lithophane_viridipallens/