Species Spodolepis substriataria - Hodges#6799

6799

Epirranthis substriataria - see genus page for info on classification

the only species in this genus in North America and the world

wingspan 40-45 mm

Adult: forewing light gray with black speckling, often with shades of brown along costa and apex; jagged AM and PM lines resemble a dog's head in profile, with the dark discal spot forming the eye; extent of dark markings, including the transverse lines, can be extremely variable, resulting in well-marked, contrasting individuals to almost unmarked gray ones

[adapted from description at U. of Alberta]

Larva: body dark with intricate pattern of black and brown, resembling tree bark or a twig

Alaska to Nova Scotia, south in the east to New Jersey, south in the west to California

mixed and coniferous forests

adults fly from April to June (in Alberta)

larvae feed on douglas-fir, pine, poplar, willow

one generation per year; overwinters as a pupa in thin cocoon in leaf litter

the "dog's head" pattern on the forewing is distinctive

live adult image (Lynn Scott, Ontario)

pinned adult images showing variation in color (CBIF)

pinned adult images (Moth Photographers Group)

overview including habitat, seasonality, description, biology, food plants, distribution (Strickland Entomological Museum, U. of Alberta)

presence in California; list (U. of California at Berkeley)

distribution in Canada list of provinces and territories (CBIF)