Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Epirranthis substriataria - see
genus page for info on classification
Numbers
the only species in this genus in North America and the world
Identification
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
Range
Alaska to Nova Scotia, south in the east to New Jersey, south in the west to California
Habitat
mixed and coniferous forests
Season
adults fly from April to June (in Alberta)
Food
larvae feed on douglas-fir, pine, poplar, willow
Life Cycle
one generation per year; overwinters as a pupa in thin cocoon in leaf litter
See Also
the "dog's head" pattern on the forewing is distinctive
Internet References
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)