Species Euxoa pleuritica - Fawn Brown Dart - Hodges#10727

10727

Carneades confracta (Smith, 1890)

described in 1876 by Grote, who originally placed it in genus Agrotis

wingspan 34-38 mm

Adult: forewing mottled coppery brown with areas of dark gray and darker brown; reniform spot has dark gray smudge in lower half; orbicular spot round, dark in center; claviform spot partial or sometimes absent; AM line black, double, scalloped; PM line scalloped; subterminal line pale, irregular, bordered proximally by a few dark gray wedges, and distally by dark gray shading; terminal line a series of black dashes; male hindwing dirty white or pale cream with dark scales along veins and outer margin; female hindwing darker and grayer

Newfoundland to British Columbia, south in the east to North Carolina, south in the west to Arizona and New Mexico

sandy pine forests, old dunes, open areas with light soils; adults are nocturnal and come to light

adults fly from June to August

larvae have been reared on Russian Thistle (Salsola kali)

one generation per year; overwinters as a larva

Euxoa messoria, E. pestula, and E. scholastica forewings are paler and lack coppery color (compare images of all four species at CBIF)

Moth Photographers Group (MPG)

Pacific Northwest Moths