Size
wingspan 30-40 mm; female larger than male
Identification
Adult: two dark bands on each forewing almost touch each other near the midline, and the inner (or more basal) band touches the inner margin [whereas in Caenurgina erechtea, the bands do not touch each other near the midline, and the inner (or more basal) band does not touch the inner margin]
Range
coast to coast in United States and adjacent parts of Canada; in the west to Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Alaska
Habitat
fields, roadsides, waste places; adults are active day and night, and are attracted to light
Season
adults fly from March to November
Food
larvae feed on clover, grasses, and lupines
Remarks
Due to the similarity in spelling, the genus
Caenurgina is sometimes confused with
Caenurgia, a genus in the same subfamily and tribe as
Caenurgina.
See Also
Forage Looper (
Caenurgina erechtea) has two dark bands on each forewing that do not touch each other near the midline, and the inner (or more basal) band does not touch the inner margin (
compare images of both species at CBIF)
Internet References
live adult images (Lynn Scott, Ontario)
live and pinned adult images by various photographers (Moth Photographers Group)
Contributed by
Robin McLeod on 11 January, 2005 - 12:00pm
Last updated 29 June, 2006 - 10:16pm
