Identification
forewing dark grayish-brown with sparse dusting of tiny pale flecks; reniform, orbicular, and claviform spots represented by vague dark smudges; PM line straight, untoothed, showing sharp contrast between dark median area and paler subterminal area
hindwing light gray with faint gray veins and terminal line
Range
eastern North America: Nova Scotia to Georgia, west to Illinois, north to Manitoba (but apparently missing from Ontario)
Habitat
damp meadows and riparian areas where food plant grows
Season
adults fly from August to October
Food
larvae bore into stems and roots of joe-pye-weed (Eupatorium spp.)
Remarks
The photo of a
Coneflower Borer, previously misidentified as Joe-Pye-Weed Borer and mistakenly placed on this page, has been moved to the
Papaipema nelita page.
See Also
may be mistaken for the all-dark form of a
Coneflower Borer (
Papaipema nelita) whose PM line has small "teeth" formed from wing veins projecting into the subterminal area.
Internet References
common name reference [Joe-Pye-Weed Borer] plus food plant and flight season (Ohio State U.)
distribution in Canada list of provinces (CBIF data, presented by U. of Alberta)
Contributed by
Robin McLeod on 3 February, 2005 - 3:31pm
Additional contributions by
marcie oconnorLast updated 21 September, 2023 - 7:43am