Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

11 April 2003   7:51PM EST  (top left)
14 April 2003   8:46PM EST  (top right)
28 April 2003   9:12PM EST  (bottom)

My identification of this moth was initially based on Hodges, R.W., The Moths of North America North of Mexico, Fascicle 6.2, Gelechioidea Oecophoridae (London: E.W. Classey, 1974).  My thanks to Dr. Jean-François Landry of Agriculture Canada, who subsequently agreed with this identification for specimens I have given to the Canadian National Collection.

Semioscopis megamicrella is the species for which I have seen the most specimens, of the five species of Semioscopis known to occur in the Ottawa area.  Hodges notes that S. megamicrella can be distinguished from the other species by the brownish cast of its forewing in combination with the lack of prominent marks.  He notes the presence of one of two dark brown spots halfway down the cell, a curved dark mark at the end of the cell, and a broken adterminal line marked by a series of dashes.  The wing length ranges from 7.5 to 12 mm.  He also indicates that there may be considerably variation in color, from very pale to a dark gray brown.

I could not find any definite information on the larval host plant.  The adult moth flies in the spring.

I have photographed this species in 2002 on 4 May; in 2003, on 11, 14, 19, 20 and 28 April, and on 4, 5, 7, 8, 15 and 17 May.