Identification
Adult: forewing slender, variably light to dark grayish-brown; light individuals have blackish streak extending through and beyond reniform and orbicular spots; dark individuals show less overall contrast but have more prominent AM and PM lines, which are pale yellowish or beige; subterminal line a series of dark dots, sometimes indistinct; pale wedge at apex adjacent to dark triangular patch along outer margin; fringe crenulate (with small scallops) except in worn specimens; hindwing broad, yellowish-gray with darker veins; terminal line thin, dark; fringe pale; snout long, projecting forward from head
Larva: body slender, light grayish-green with white lateral stripe; 3 pairs of mid-abdominal prolegs and 1 pair of backward-projecting anal prolegs
Range
California to British Columbia, east to Saskatchewan; also recorded from Ontario
Season
adults may be present all year in California but are more numerous from March to October, the approximate flight season in the north
Food
larvae feed on nettle (Urtica)
Life Cycle
multiple generations per year
See Also
dark individuals are easily confused with the similar
Hypena decorata which appears to have an indistinct orbicular spot or blob that almost touches the AM line, and a black line running from the reniform spot part-way to the AM line (
compare images of both species at CBIF, and see photo of
H. decorata at
CDFA);
H. decorata has a flight season of late February to late September in
California
Hypena modestoides has a pale band beyond the PM line, and its PM line is more oblique, with a large tooth near the inner margin (
compare images of both species at CBIF)
Internet References
live adult and larva images plus foodplant (Jeremy Tatum, Butterflies and Moths of Southern Vancouver Island)
pinned adult image (California Dept. of Food and Agriculture)
13 records from California with locations and dates (U. of California at Berkeley)
presence in Oregon; list 246 specimens in collection (Oregon State U.)
distribution in Canada list of provinces (U. of Alberta, using CBIF data)
Contributed by
Robin McLeod on 9 February, 2007 - 10:57am
Last updated 10 February, 2007 - 12:02am
