Species Lithophane pexata - Plush-naped Pinion - Hodges#9922

9922

wingspan about 37 mm, based on photo by Jim Vargo at MPG

Adult: forewing dark brownish-gray with prominent white strip bordering basal dash, slightly curved as viewed from above; reniform spot large, filled with dull orange; orbicular spot oval, oblique, with rounded top (nearest costa); reniform and orbicular spots outlined in black; short black bar connects bottom of claviform spot with PM line; paler brownish shading inside subterminal line; whitish spot often present near anal angle; hindwing with brownish-gray shading, paler basally, gray discal lunule and dull yellowish fringe

Newfoundland to British Columbia and adjacent northern states; apparently absent from Saskatchewan

riparian areas and sphagnum bogs containing alder

adults usually seen in early spring and in fall; occasionally active on sunny days in winter

larvae feed on leaves of alder (Alnus spp.)

two generations per year; overwinters as an adult

Ashen Pinion (Lithophane antennata) has pale gray basal area rather than a white strip

Bailey's Pinion (L. baileyi) has a longer and straighter white basal strip, and the orbicular spot is flat-topped (nearest the costa), like an open U shape

Lithophane tepida forewing is lighter gray, and has prominent double AM and PM lines

(compare images of all four species at CBIF)

live adult images plus description, food plant, flight season (Lynn Scott, Ontario)

live adult images and common name reference (Moth Photographers Group)

pinned adult image (CBIF)

pinned adult image and photos of related species by Jim Vargo (Moth Photographers Group)

food plant; PDF doc plus flight season and life cycle (Macrolepidoptera of Mont Saint-Hilaire Region, McGill U., Quebec)

distribution in Canada list of provinces (U. of Alberta, using CBIF data)

presence in Ohio listed as rare (Ohio State U.)

presence in New York; list (Timothy McCabe, Olive Natural Heritage Society, New York)