Identification
Adult: forewing with pinkish-yellow ground color mixed with gray and black patches; outer two-thirds of reniform spot whitish, inner third filled with (and surrounded by) black spot. A thin white line running past the inner margin of the orbicular and reniform spots, and then bending toward the anal angle may be difficult to see but is a distinguishing characteristic.
Larva: light brown with dark-edged pale dorsal line
genitalia
Range
Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, New York, Michigan, Wisconsin (as of the end of 2005)
native to Eurasia
Habitat
local in marshy places and river valleys
Food
larvae feed on leaves of Common Reed (Phragmites australis), canary grass (Phalaris spp.), and manna grass (Glyceria spp.)
Life Cycle
overwinters as a larva, and pupates in spring
Remarks
Well-known throughout Europe by its common name.
First collected in North America near Ottawa in 1991, it has since spread west to Michigan and Wisconsin, and east to QC and NB.
As of April 2004, its only known occurrence in the United States was in a pine barrens near Plattsburg NY (
Timothy McCabe - PDF doc); in 2004 and 2005 reported from Michigan and Wisconsin
See Also
Apamea sordens and vultuosa are similar
Print References
Mikkola, K. and J.D. Lafontaine. 1994. Recent introductions of riparian noctuid moths from the Palearctic region to North America, with the first report of Apamea unanimis (Hübner) (Noctuidae: Amphipyrinae). J. Lepid. Soc. 48:121-127