Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Anania extricalis (Guenée, 1854)
Anania extricalis extricalis (Guenée, 1854)
Anania extricalis dionalis (Walker, 1859)
Botys extricalis Guenée, 1854
(1)
Pionea dionalis Walker, 1859
(2)
Spilodes nisoeecalis Walker, 1859
(2)
Botys intricatalis Lederer, 1863
(3)
Botis oppilalis Grote, 1880
(4)
Pyrausta beddeci Dyar, 1913
(5) Identification
Adult: forewing light grayish-brown (slightly paler beyond PM line) with dark gray AM and PM lines; discal spot a faint diffuse chevron, situated just beyond a pale elongate spot or streak; PM line has distinctive shape -- contains small teeth near costa, 3 longer finger-like teeth mid-way across wing, followed by a deep U-shaped sinus and a shorter tooth near inner margin; terminal line absent or represented by several faint dots at ends of veins; hindwing pale gray (distinctly paler than forewing), with similar-shaped PM line but no discernible discal spot or AM line; fringe white.
This species has been confused with
Framinghamia helvalis on many websites. Hugh McGuinness submitted the following identification comments on Jim Sogaard's Photo #
1724632:
"I confirmed this as extricalis at iNat, so I thought I would state why here: Anania extricalis is a tan species, which maybe occasionally can have a slight yellowish tinge. The pm line is highly dentate, with three "fingers" forming a rounded bulge. The pm line then bends sharply basad towards the costa. The discocellular bar (often referred to as the reniform, which is not quite correct in this case) is single (not double). The HW pm bulge is not nearly as dentate as the that of the FW. The confusion species in this case (aside from A. quebecensis, which is smaller and paler) is Framinghamia helvialis. It is my conclusion that currently all of the photos at MPG, and all of the habitus photos at BG listed under A. extricalis are actually Framinghamia helvialis. Jim Sogaard's specimen here is one of the few good records of A. extricalis that I have found on citizien science sites, although I am sure there are others. In Framinghamia, the discocellular bar is double, the pm line of the FW is less dentate, the bulge in the pm line is less rounded, the costal portion of the pm line does not bend basad but is instead relatively perpendicular to the costa and the pm line of the HW is more dentate. Of course, I could be wrong about all this, but this is where my analysis currently stands. Let me know what you think." - Hugh McGuinness, 15 February, 2020.
Range
Newfoundland to Florida, west to Texas and Saskatchewan
Food
larvae feed on leaves of alder (
Alnus spp.),
Balsam Poplar (
Populus balsamifera), and
Paper Birch (
Betula papyrifera)
See Also
Framinghamia helvalis - See Identification above.
Mutuuraia mysippusalis forewing PM line has slightly different shape, and both wings are darker brown than in
Nealgedonia
Pleuroptya species have a slightly different shape to PM line on both wings, the forewing is uniformly colored, and the hindwing is not paler than the forewing (see
P. silicalis at BugGuide, and
P. penumbralis at MPG)
Herpetogramma species have distinct discal spots and more prominent markings on forewing, and hindwing is not noticeably paler than forewing.
Garden Webworm (
Achyra rantalis) forewing has dark discal spots, and PM line has different shape
Phlyctaenia leuschneri forewing PM line has slightly different shape, terminal line is distinct and continuous, and overall color of both wings is yellowish, including both fringes
