Numbers
locally common in southern Quebec along St. Lawrence River [Handfield, 1999]; status elsewhere unknown, but may be expanding its North American range
Identification
Adult: forewing medial area yellowish-brown to yellowish-gray, sometimes with reddish tint; PM line a sinuate series of black-edged white scallops, bordered distally by whitish or pale gray subterminal area; reniform, orbicular, and claviform spots filled with ground color and outlined in black; basal area dark gray, bordered distally by scalloped white AM line; posterior portion of thorax brownish-orange dorsally; melanic specimens with mostly black forewings are relatively common; hindwing grayish-brown with pale fringe
Range
native to Europe; recent accidental introduction to eastern North America; Internet records from Quebec and Massachusetts
Habitat
grassy areas, open spaces, suburbs near homes or other buildings; adults are nocturnal and come to light and bait [Handfield, 1999]
Season
adults fly from May to July
Food
larvae feed inside roots and stems of various grasses (
Orchardgrass (
Dactylis glomerata) and
Quackgrass (
Elymus [=Agropyron] repens) are foodplants in England; both of these grass species are widespread in North America); also reported on
Poa species
Remarks
First North American record from Quebec on 15 July 1990 [Handfield, 1999]
Mikkola and Lafontaine (1994) suggest that the turf and soil being picked up in shipyards, e.g., on the bottoms of large shipping containers, could be responsible for the recent introduction of several Palearctic moth species, including O. strigilis.
See Also
Bridgham's Brocade (
Oligia bridghamii) forewing has reddish medial area, contrasting reniform and orbicular spots, and no claviform spot (
compare images of both species at CBIF)
Print References
Handfield, Louis. 1999. Les Guides des Papillons du Quebec. Broquet. 662 pp.
Mikkola, K. & J. D. Lafontaine. 1994. Recent introductions of riparian noctuid moths from the Palearctic region to North America, with the first report of Apamea unanimis (Hubner) (Noctuidae: Amphipyrinae). J. Lepid. Soc. 48:121-127
Internet References
live adult images from Italy and Denmark by Jens Christian Schou (Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa)
live adult image plus common name reference, flight season, foodplants (Ian Kimber, UK Moths)
live adult image by Buquet Christophe (Antoine Guyonnet and Robert Levesque, Lepidopteres du Poitou-Charentes, France)
pinned adult image (R.S. Thompson and B. Nelson, Butterflies and Moths of Northern Ireland)
foodplants plus pinned adult images, links to other sites, and European distribution map (Markku Savela, FUNET)
pinned adult image by Leif Aarvik, plus other info in Norwegian (U. of Oslo, Norway)
pinned adult images (Bert Gustafsson, Swedish Museum of Natural History)
common name reference plus adult illustration and other info (Probert Encyclopedia, UK)
presence in Massachusetts; list two records by Mark Mello in mid and late June 2001; search on species "strigilis" (Lepidopterists Society Season Summary, U. of Florida)
suggested method of introduction to North America by Mikkola and Lafontaine (
Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society, Yale U., Connecticut)
