Species Hypena deceptalis - Deceptive Hypena - Hodges#8446

8446

Deceptive Hypena

Basswood Owlet

Hypena deceptalis Walker, 1859

Bomolocha deceptalis

Phylogenetic sequence # 930567

Lafontaine & Schmidt (2010) listed 29 species of the genus Hypena in America north of Mexico. (1)

wingspan 28-35 mm (2)

Adult: sexes dimorphic - male slightly larger than female and dark chocolate or sooty brown, slightly darker in median area of forewing, and paler near apex; antemedian and postmedian lines narrow, pale, nearly straight for most of length; subterminal line marked by series of blackish patches between veins, defined distally by pale crescents or pale broken line; orbicular spot black, reniform spot obscure. Female patterned like male but paler brown; terminal half of forewing even paler, contrasting with darker basal half. Hindwing dark brown, unmarked.

[adapted from description at U. of Alberta]

Genitalia:

♂

New Brunswick to Florida(3), west to Texas, north to Alberta

woodlands; adults are nocturnal and come to light

adults fly from April or May to August

larvae from May to November

larvae feed on leaves of American Basswood (Tilia americana) within its range; beyond the range of basswood, larvae feed on undetermined host(s)

at least two generations per year

larva; larva; spent pupa; adult:

Red-footed Hypena - Hypena eductalis

Moth Photographers Group - range maps, photos of living and pinned adults.

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) (4)

Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility - photo of pinned adult.

live adult images of males and females, plus description, foodplant, flight season (Lynn Scott, Ontario)

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