Species Digrammia californiaria - Californian Granite - Hodges#6380

6380

Semiothisa californiaria

described in 1871 by Packard, who originally placed it in genus Macaria

wingspan 22-29 mm, based on six Internet photos

Adult: forewing whitish to pale brown with sparse dark speckling; small black patches along costa represent upper ends of AM, median, and PM lines, which are otherwise missing or faint; broken dark patch about one-third distance from costa along PM line; some individual have slightly darker shading beyond PM line; hindwing color similar to forewing but with small discal spot as its only marking

Texas to California, north to Alberta and British Columbia

prairie badlands (in Alberta); adults are nocturnal and come to light

adults fly from March to October in California (2 broods); possibly all year in Texas

larvae feed on Big Deervetch (Lotus crassifolius) on the west coast, and presumably other legumes in the interior where Big Deervetch does not occur

two generations per year in Alberta; perhaps more in the south

Digrammia parcata forewing has smaller and fainter markings, and broken dark patch about one-half distance from costa along PM line (see photo from Arizona by Bruce Walsh)

Moth Photographers Group (MPG)