Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Synedoida divergens
Size
wingspan about 44 mm, based on photo by Jim Vargo at MPG
Identification
Adult: forewing dark brown to blackish in basal and median areas, light brownish-gray in AM and terminal areas; reniform spot with pointed projections and white highlights; AM line has peculiar but distinctive lobed shaped; hindwing yellowish-orange with curving black lines across disk, and two large black spots along upper half of outer margin
Range
California to Colorado, north to British Columbia
Season
adults fly from March to August in California
See Also
Drasteria hastingsii may be the most similar
Drasteria species; its forewing differs in having a black spot at the apex, and pearl gray shading beyond the subterminal line (
compare images of both species at CBIF)
the forewing of Melipotis novanda male is very similar but has a wavier subterminal line and a differently shaped AM line (compare both species in Jim Vargo's MPG link below)
Internet References
pinned adult image and photos of related species by Jim Vargo (Moth Photographers Group)
10 pinned adult images and collection site map showing presence in Utah and along the US west coast (All-Leps)
presence in Oregon; list 39 specimens in collection (Oregon State U.)
presence in California; list 33 specimen records with dates and locations (U. of California at Berkeley)
distribution in Canada British Columbia only (U. of Alberta, using CBIF data)
