Wing span: 49mm
Flight time: May - August
Description. Extremely variable. FW grayish, often with prominently contrasting whitish or blackish markings or patches; st usually contrastingly whitish from costa, as in minuta, but not forming distinctly concave arc (rather, a crude w). HW yellow-orange with black bands; inner band usually sharply angled or pointed at apex (unlike minuta); outer band may be broken (or nearly broken), with separate anal spot. Among the named forms of this highly variable species are "jaquenetta" H. Edwards (FW rather uniformly green-gray), "hero" H. Edwards (FW with whitish median area; narrow at costa, broad at inner margin -- unlike connubialis), "ouwah" Poling (oblique blackish shading or streak across FW, interrupted only at pale subreniform), "atarah" Strecker (FW ground entirely whitish, with contrasting black lines), "gisela" Meyer (black from base of FW to pm line, contrasting with pale outer margin, except for black streak below apex), and "timandra" H. Edwards (inner black band of HW very narrow). There is also a melanic form (FW entirely blackish except for a more-or-less contrasting white st line) which has not been previously named, and for which I would suggest the name "lolita." H 32:21 ("gisela"); 35:4 (as fratercula). B & Mc 9: 22, 23 ("hero"), 24 ("hero"), 25 ("jaquenetta"), 26, 27 ("atarah," as "hero"), 28, 29 ("ouwah"), 30 ("gisela").
Similar species. With such great variability, this species will always provide some identification problems. C. minuta and connubialis, both highly variable as well, will most often be confused with micronympha. See those species for the major points of distinction.
Range. Southern Canada (Ontario), New Hampshire to Florida and west throughout area.
Status. Generally uncommon to common. Scarcer to the north and west in its range.
Larval foodplants. Oaks (Quercus).
Notes. Moth rests head-down on tree trunks.
Data from Legion of Night by Theodore Sargent.
Record # | Date | Locale | State | Lat/Lon | Collected By | Count |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
317682 | 2022-07-04 | Johnson County, Iowa | Iowa | Location Protected | Mark Brown | 1 |
288360 | 2021-06-17 | Linn County, Iowa | Iowa | Location Protected | james durbin II | 1 |
357161 | 2020-08-19 | Lionberger Environmental Preserve | Iowa | 43.3363 -91.8702 | Julia Schulte | 1 |
356845 | 2018-07-18 | Lionberger Environmental Preserve | Iowa | 43.334148 -91.871215 | Lena Schmitt | 1 |
356846 | 2018-07-18 | Lionberger Environmental Preserve | Iowa | 43.334148 -91.871215 | Lena Schmitt | 1 |
357271 | 2018-07-18 | Lionberger Environmental Preserve | Iowa | 43.3363 -91.8702 | Lena Schmitt | 1 |
173753 | 2016-07-24 | Decatur County, Iowa | Iowa | Location Protected | Logan Crees | 1 |
195025 | 2015-06-27 | Sundown Lake Recreation Area | Iowa | 40.830089 -92.747939 | Eric Liskey | 1 |
195026 | 2015-06-27 | Sundown Lake Recreation Area | Iowa | 40.830089 -92.747939 | Eric Liskey | 1 |
195029 | 2015-06-27 | Sundown Lake Recreation Area | Iowa | 40.830089 -92.747939 | Eric Liskey | 1 |
71887 | 2014-07-29 | Whiterock Conservancy | Iowa | 41.817373 -94.645223 | Frank Olsen | 1 |
71888 | 2014-07-29 | Whiterock Conservancy | Iowa | 41.817373 -94.645223 | Frank Olsen | 1 |
71889 | 2014-07-29 | Whiterock Conservancy | Iowa | 41.817373 -94.645223 | Frank Olsen | 1 |
12269 | 2014-07-21 | Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area, Linn County | Iowa | 42.10948 -91.8249 | Jim Durbin | 1 |
120359 | 2014-07-03 | Timberhill | Iowa | 40.715921 -93.651635 | Sibylla Brown | 1 |
19307 | 2013-07-29 | Ambrose A. Call State Park | Iowa | 43.0517 -94.2498 | Matt Kenne | 1 |
2165 | 2013-07-18 | Webster County | Iowa | 42.533565 -94.185998 | BAMONA | 1 |
2166 | 2013-07-18 | Webster County | Iowa | 42.533565 -94.185998 | BAMONA | 1 |
110395 | 2013-07-18 | Fort Dodge | Iowa | 42.533565 -94.185999 | 1 | |
110396 | 2013-07-18 | Fort Dodge | Iowa | 42.533565 -94.185999 | 1 | |
19306 | 2013-07-12 | Whiterock Conservancy | Iowa | 41.80725 -94.64085 | Jim Durbin | 1 |
19309 | 2013-07-05 | Waubonsie State Park | Iowa | 40.676 -95.689 | Tom Jantscher | 1 |
19302 | 2011-07-20 | Shimek State Forest, Farmington Unit | Iowa | 40.6659 -91.73637 | Frank Olsen | 1 |
19303 | 2011-07-20 | Shimek State Forest, Farmington Unit | Iowa | 40.6659 -91.73637 | Frank Olsen | 1 |
19301 | 2010-07-02 | Waubonsie State Park | Iowa | 40.676 -95.689 | Frank Olsen | 1 |
18914 | 2009-08-06 | Nine Eagles State Park | Iowa | 40.59835 -93.76385 | Jim Durbin | 1 |
19308 | 2009-07-25 | Adair | Iowa | 41.49556 -94.64389 | Tom Jantscher | 1 |
357752 | 2009-07-06 | Luther College Sign | Iowa | 43.3204 -91.8139 | Kirk J. Larsen | 1 |
19300 | 2006-08-22 | Whiterock Conservancy | Iowa | 41.8201 -94.64768 | Elizabeth Hill | 1 |
19298 | 2004-07-21 | Yellow River State Forest | Iowa | 43.1676 -91.254 | Ed Freese | 1 |
19296 | 2004-07-09 | Wildcat Den State Park | Iowa | 41.4705 -90.88228 | Doug Veal | 1 |
19295 | 2004-07-04 | Leon's Farm, Ohio County | Kentucky | 37.42033 -86.77023 | Jim Durbin | 1 |
19297 | 2003-08-02 | Shimek State Forest, Farmington Unit | Iowa | 40.64802 -91.7254 | Frank Olsen | 1 |
19299 | 2003-05-15 | Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge | Iowa | 41.5678 -93.2675 | Keith Summerville | 1 |