Other Common Names
E. notaria: Powder Moth
E. discospilata: Sharp-lined Powder Moth
E. convergaria: Pine Powder Moth or Converged Powder Moth
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Eufidonia Packard, 1876
Numbers
3 species in North America listed at
nearctica.comIdentification
All three species are variable and very similar in appearance. In some cases, larvae may be identified to species based on hostplant association, but genitalic dissection is required to confirm species identification of adults.
Range
Newfoundland to British Columbia and northern United States
Habitat
E. notaria: coniferous and mixedwood forests
E. discospilata: northern spruce/sphagnum bogs
E. convergaria: pine forests
Season
adults fly from May to July
larvae present from July to September
Food
larval foodplants vary according to species:
E. notataria feeds exclusively on coniferous trees such as fir, hemlock, larch, spruce, and various species of pine
E. discospilata feeds entirely on deciduous trees and shrubs such as alder, birch, cherry, hawthorn, willow, Spiraea, and Viburnum; (coniferous hosts reported by Prentice in 1963 are likely accidental hosts or errors, according to U. of Alberta website linked to below)
E. convergaria feeds on species of pine, including White Pine, Lodgepole Pine, Jack Pine
Life Cycle
one generation per year; eggs are laid singly on the host plant; the larvae feed on the foliage, and have five or six instars. Pupation takes place at or near the surface ofthe soil, without a cocoon; hibernation takes place in this stage
(1)Internet References
pinned adult images showing 7 examples of 3 species of
Eufidonia (CBIF)
E. discospilata and
E. convergaria pinned adult images by G.G. Anweiler, plus common names, habitat, flight season, description, larval foodplants, distribution (Strickland Entomological Museum, U. of Alberta)
pinned adult image of
E. discospilata (Insects of Quebec)
E. discopilata and
E. notaria pinned adult images by John Glaser, plus common names, habitat, larval foodplants, and dates (Larry Line, Maryland)
live larva image of E. convergaria plus description, larval foodplant, and life cycle (forestpests.org)
common names reference; PDF doc (Jason Dombroskie, Pembroke Area Field Naturalists, Ontario)
