Size
wingspan 30-42 mm; female larger than male
Identification
Adult: two dark bands on each forewing do not touch each other near the midline, and the inner (or more basal) band does not touch the inner margin [whereas in C. crassiuscula, the bands almost touch each other near the midline, and the inner (or more basal) band touches the inner margin]
Range
absent from the following parts of Canada where C. crassiuscula occurs: Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Yukon, Northwest Territories.
Otherwise, occurs coast to coast in United States and adjacent parts of Canada
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 alfalfa, clover, grasses, and
Great Ragweed (
Ambrosia trifida)
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
Clover Looper (
Caenurgina crassiuscula) has two dark bands on each forewing that almost touch each other near the midline, and the inner (or more basal) band touches the inner margin (
compare images of both species at CBIF)
Internet References
live and pinned adult images by various photographers (Moth Photographers Group)
pinned adult image (Larry Line, Maryland)
Contributed by
Robin McLeod on 11 January, 2005 - 12:24pm
Last updated 29 June, 2006 - 10:04pm
