Identification
Adults - medium-size broad-winged brownish yellow moth with slightly falcate forewings. The forewings are crossed be a series of parallel bent thin brown lines. The space between the antemedian and postmedian lines is slightly darker on the upper half, and contains a number of faint circles and loops. The hindwings are paler yellow buff. Sexes similar, antennae simple
Range
all of Canada and Alaska, south in the west to California, Arizona, and Colorado, south in the east to North Carolina
Habitat
wooded habitats throughout the southern boreal, cordilleran and parkland regions where it is often the most common Eulithis; rare along river corridors in the grasslands region
Season
adults fly from June to August
Food
larvae feed on leaves of
currant (
Ribes spp.), poplar, and willow
See Also
Most similar to E. testata, which is darker orange and has a darker and more contrasting pattern, and a narrow white border on the postmedian line and apical dash. The very rare E. gracilineata is lighter yellow than propulsata, and has the postmedian line dragged out sharply in a single point almost to the outer margin of the forewing
Internet References
BOLD - Barcode of Life Data Systems - collection map and photos of pinned adults.
pinned adult image plus foodplants and flight season (Jeff Miller, Macromoths of Northwest Forests and Woodlands, USGS)
presence in California 15 specimen records with dates and locations (U. of California at Berkeley)
presence in New York; list (Timothy McCabe, Olive Natural Heritage Society, New York)
presence in North Carolina; PDF doc list (Harry LeGrand
et al, North Carolina Natural Heritage Program)
foodplant plus distribution map and synonyms (Markku Savela, FUNET)
E. H. Strickland Museum - Habitat, Description, See also