Wing span: 77mm
Flight time: July - August
Description. FW dark gray, with prominent black lines, and brown and whitish shadings; brown particularly in st area. HW black, with prominently barred white fringe. Underside black and white, with relatively narrow pm white band on both FW and HW (compared to palaeogama). The species is very variable. Among the named forms are "evelina" French (inner margin and patch below apex of FW con-trastingly blackish), "paulina" H. Edwards (blackish from base to pm line of Fw), and "zelica" French (basal and pm-st area of FW contrastingly blackish). An aberrant specimen (plate 3: 8) with lacrymosa-like FW, and traces of orange on the HW, seems closest to this species, but shows some palaeogamacharacteristics, and may represent a hybrid between these two species (see chapter five). 60-70 mm. H 31: 6, 9 ("evelina"), 12 ("paulina"). B & Mc 2: 1, 2 ("zelica"), 3 ("evelina"), 4 ("paulina"), 5 ("paulina"), 7.
Similar species. FW remarkably similar to palaeogama, and with parallel variations. A species as variable as this will always provide some identification problems. Questionable individuals should be compared with long series of collected specimens. See ulalume.
Range. Massachusetts to Florida and west throughout area.
Status. Generally uncommon to common, but rare to the north and northeast in its range. Exhibits marked fluctuations in annual abundance.
Larval foodplants. Hickories (Carya). Notes. Unlike many of the black-winged species, this moth is very skittish while resting, and may fly long distances when disturbed.
Data from Legion of Night by Theodore Sargent.
Record # | Date | Locale | State | Lat/Lon | Collected By | Count |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
313385 | 2022-08-13 | Shimek State Forest, Donnellson Unit | Iowa | 40.649184 -91.681559 | Angella Moorehouse | 1 |
125548 | 2014-08-19 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.02064 -93.623952 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
205505 | 2014-08-19 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.02064 -93.623952 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
19749 | 2013-08-23 | Waubonsie State Park | Iowa | 40.676 -95.689 | Doug Veal | 1 |
205504 | 2002-08-09 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.02064 -93.623952 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
205503 | 2001-08-13 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.02064 -93.623952 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
125550 | 2001-08-07 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.02064 -93.623952 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
138169 | 2001-08-07 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.02064 -93.623952 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
205502 | 2001-08-07 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.02064 -93.623952 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
125549 | 2001-07-13 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.02064 -93.623952 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
19272 | 1999-07-18 | Cedar Rapids | Iowa | 41.9925 -91.6545 | Doug Veal | 1 |