Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

28 June 2005   9:06PM EST  (left and right)
Both photos are of the same specimen.

My thanks to Dr. D. L. Wagner of the University of Connecticut for confirming my identification of the specimen illustrated above.  For further information on Mompha eloisella, I have relied mainly on Covell (1984) and Forbes, William T.M., The Lepidoptera of New York and Neighboring States, Primitive Forms, Microlepidoptera, Pyraloids, Bombyces (Ithaca, New York: Cornell University, 1923).

Mompha eloisella has a forewing that is mainly white, with brown in the outer half.  The forewing has 3 black dots: one right at the base of the wing, one located about where the shoulder blade would be (if moths had shoulder blades), and one a little farther out at the costa.  The outer half of the wing is heavily streaked in brown, sometimes including some black, with streaks extending outward from costa and inner margin to form V shapes.  There is a large scale tuft at the inner margin where the brown streaking begins.  A second scale tuft, more gray-brown in color, crosses the center of a diamond-shaped patch of white.  The fringe of the forewing has a strong "pencil" projecting outward from the apex.  The hindwing is gray with a wide fringe.  There are several black dots on the white thorax.  Covell (1984) gives a wingspan of 0.8 to 1.5 cm for this species.

According to Forbes (1923) and Covell (1984), the larva of Momphis eloisella bores in the stems of evening primrose. Forbes (1923) indicates an adult flight season in June.

My only record to date for Mompha eloisella (each date representing "the night of") is in the table below: