confused woodgrain moth

not listed

NNR - Unranked

SNR - Unranked

not listed

Confused woodgrain moth is a common, medium-sized, early season moth. It occurs in the United States and southern Canada east of the Great Plains.

The larvae feed on the leaves of a variety of deciduous trees and shrubs, including American hophornbeam, apple, balsam poplar, basswood, birch, black cherry, blue beech, blueberry, chokecherry, elm, hickory, maple, oak, Ohio buckeye, rose, sweetgale, and willow. Adults are found from April to June in deciduous forests, woodlands, and large gardens.

Adults are 11⁄16″ to ⅞″ (18 to 22 mm) in length and have a 1¼″ to 1¾″ (32 to 45 mm) wingspan.

The forewings are dull grayish brown or tan with dark brown streaks creating a bark-like pattern. There are two conspicuous, longitudinal, black dashes in the basal area, and two similar dashes on the thorax. The postmedial (PM) line is deeply and sharply toothed, and it is edged with white near the inner margin. The normally round spot in the upper median area (orbicular spot) is long, and it touches or nearly touches the kidney-shaped spot (reniform spot) in the lower median area.

The hindwings are dirty white with shading toward the outer margin.

The last stage (instar) caterpillar is up to 19⁄16″ (4 cm) long. It is very pale to reddish brown or orangish brown with dense white speckling. The middorsal and subdorsal above, and the spiracular and subspiracular stripes on the sides, are faint. The breathing pores (spiracles) are ringed with black. There is a poorly defined, chestnut-brown or dark brown patch on each lobe of the head. The caterpillars are active from June to November.

Total length: 11⁄16″ to ⅞″ (18 to 22 mm)

Wingspan: 1¼″ to 1¾″ (32 to 45 mm)

Deciduous forests, woodlands, and large gardens

April to June

Leaves of a variety of deciduous trees and shrubs, including American hophornbeam, apple, balsam poplar, basswood, birch, black cherry, blue beech, blueberry, chokecherry, elm, hickory, maple, oak, Ohio buckeye, rose, sweetgale, and willow

Flower nectar

Sources

4, 21, 29, 30, 75, 82, 83.

Location: Albany, NY