Identification
Adult: forewing variably light purplish-brown to reddish-orange; lines and markings faint except for dark subapical dash along costa and black lower half of reniform spot; subterminal line a series of black dots; terminal line either continuous and scalloped or broken into dark dots; grayish V-shaped median line descends in middle to reniform spot; AM and PM lines brown, double, wavy; orbicular and reniform spots rimmed with brown; hindwing pale yellowish with gray shading; veins, discal spot, and terminal line darker gray; fringe pale
Range
British Columbia to California, east to Utah
Habitat
dry western forests; adults are nocturnal and come to light
Season
adults fly in fall and early winter
Food
larvae feed on leaves of lupine (Lupinus spp.)
See Also
Anathix agressa forewing has more prominent gray markings, and hindwing is a blotchy mix of gray and pale yellow
Sunira species are superficially similar but have continuous subterminal line on forewing, and varying amounts of yellow on hindwing
Internet References
live adult image (Jeremy Tatum, Butterflies and Moths of Southern Vancouver Island)
pinned adult image plus description, habitat, flight season, foodplant (Jeff Miller, Macromoths of Northwest Forests and Woodlands, USGS)
pinned adult image and technical description (California Dept. of Food and Agriculture)
presence in California; list (U. of California at Berkeley)
presence in Utah; list (Joel Johnson, Utah Lepidopterists Society)
distribution in Canada British Columbia only (U. of Alberta, using CBIF data)
