Other Common Names
Plain-faced Blueberry Dart
Pronunciation
see-NOFF-ih-la oh-PASS-ih-frons
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Eugraphe subrosea and five other synonyms
formerly considered a subspecies of the palearctic
Coenophila subrosea
described in 1878 by Grote, who originally placed it in genus Agrotis
Explanation of Names
opacifrons: from the Latin "opacus" (shady) + "frons" (forehead)
Numbers
the only species in this genus in North America
Identification
Adult: forewing brownish-gray with dark toothed PM line and dark scalloped AM line; reniform and orbicular spots filled with ground color, and joined by dark line or patch (sometimes faint and/or partial); dark patch on basal side of orbicular spot does not extend past AM line; no noticeable basal dash or claviform spot; diffuse dark band across subterminal area; hindwing light brownish-gray with dark discal spot and veins, diffuse PM band, dark terminal line, and pale fringe; antennae bipectinate in male, simple in female
Larva: body pale gray to blackish with dark brown reticulate (net-like) pattern and submedial arcs
genitalia
Range
Newfoundland to British Columbia and adjacent northern states, south in the east to New Jersey
Habitat
boreal forest peat bogs and fens; adults are nocturnal and come to light
Season
adults fly from July to early September
See Also
Praevia Dart (
Xestia praevia) and
Northern Variable Dart (
X. badicollis) forewing has black basal dash, noticeable claviform spot, and dark shading on basal side of orbicular spot extends past AM line (
compare images of all 3 species at CBIF)
Internet References
species account including common name reference [Blueberry Dart], habitat, description, pinned adult image by G.G. Anweiler, flight season, larval foodplants, distribution (Strickland Entomological Museum, U. of Alberta)
common name reference; PDF doc [Plain-faced Blueberry Dart] (Govt. of Indiana)
distribution in Canada; list of provinces of occurrence (U. of Alberta, using CBIF data)
