Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

28 April 2003   9:48PM EST

My thanks to Dr. J. Donald Lafontaine of Agriculture Canada for his assistance with identifying this species.  Five species of Semioscopis are known to occur in the Ottawa area, of which S. merriccella and S. packardella (also illustrated on this web site) have many similarities in appearance.

As described by Hodges (Hodges, R.W., The Moths of North America North of Mexico, Fascicle 6.2, Gelechioidea Oecophoridae (London: E.W. Classey, 1974)), the brownish gray forewing of S. merriccella has a sinuous black band running from a point below the base to the end of the cell, with darker brownish shading outside the hook-shaped part of this line at the end of the cell.  The inner part of this line is fairly thick.  In contrast, in the few specimens of the similar S. packardella that I have seen, this sinuous band does not extend to the base of the forewing, and lacks the dark shade beyond the outer "hook".  According to Hodges, the wing length of S. merriccella ranges from 11 to 15 mm.

I could find no definite information as to host plants for this species.  The adult moth flies in the spring.

I have photographed this species in 2002 on 18 April; in 2003 on 28 April.