Numbers
one species in North America listed at
All-Leps
local and rare over much of range; locally common in selected areas
Size
wingspan about 27 mm, based on photo by Jim Vargo at MPG
Identification
Adult: forewing dark reddish-brown or purplish-brown with white AM and PM lines edged in black; reniform spot a white horizontal streak; AM line oblique, PM line almost straight, terminal line white, following contour of slightly angled outer margin; fringe dark; hindwing brownish-gray, slightly darker beyond oblique PM line; discal spot large, diffuse; terminal line and fringe dark
Larva: body of mature larva green or reddish-brown, densely mottled with minute white spots that gather into lines; middorsal, subdorsal, and spiracular stripes white, middorsal and subdorsal stripes twice width of spiracular stripe; pale circular pinacula over thorax contrasting with adjacent ground color; head with dark line to either side of triangle; anal prolegs short
early instars bright green with stripes, including supraspiracular, more prominent; head yellowish-green, mostly unmarked or with faint line above eyes and second line to either side of triangle
[adapted from description by David Wagner et al]
Range
Nova Scotia to Florida, west to Mississippi, north to Wisconsin and Ontario
Habitat
bogs, acidic shrub swamps, wet pine barrens, wetlands; adults are nocturnal, but only males come to light
Season
adults fly from June to August, very rarely September
Food
larvae feed on foliage of ferns
widely reported in literature to feed on
Eastern Marsh Fern (
Thelypteris palustris) apparently based on a single collection on
Long Island, New York by Roy Latham; larvae have been reared on
Virginia Chainfern (
Woodwardia virginica),
Royal Fern (
Osmunda regalis), and
brackenfern (
Pteridium)
Life Cycle
one generation per year in the north; two in the south
Internet References
live adult image (Leroy Simon, Florida)
pinned adult image and
distribution (James Adams, Dalton State College, Georgia)
pinned adult image by John Glaser, plus date (Larry Line, Maryland)
6 pinned adult images and collection site map (All-Leps)
pinned adult image and photos of related species by Jim Vargo (Moth Photographers Group)
pinned adult image by Ron Panzer (Northeastern Illinois U.)
common name reference; PDF doc [Marsh Fern Moth] (Indiana Dept. of Natural Resources)
larva description; PDF doc plus habitat, distribution, foodplants, life cycle, habits (David Wagner
et al, Owlet Caterpillars of Eastern North America, U. of Connecticut)
presence in Wisconsin and Michigan dates and locations (Lepidopterists Society Season Summary, U. of Florida)
presence in Florida; list (John Heppner, Florida State Collection of Arthropods)
status in Ohio "threatened", plus collection dates (Ohio State U.)
status in New York "Species of Greatest Conservation Concern; S2S3" (Timothy McCabe, Olive Natural Heritage Society, New York)
distribution in Canada list of provinces (U. of Alberta, using CBIF data)
