Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

7 August 2006   9:35PM EST  (top left and right)
13 August 2006   8:53PM EST  (bottom left)
9 August 2006   11:43PM EST  (bottom right)
The first two photos are of the same specimen.

Phaneta tomonana is one of about 20 species of Phaneta recorded from the Ottawa area  (J. D. Lafontaine, pers. comm., 2001).  My identification of Phaneta tomonana is based on Internet resources and on the description in Forbes, William T.M., The Lepidoptera of New York and Neighboring States, Primitive Forms, Microlepidoptera, Pyraloids, Bombyces (Ithaca, New York: Cornell University, 1923).

Phaneta tomonana has forewings of pale gray, somewhat brownish in tone, with fine striations of slightly darker gray, most evident towards the costa.  The most eye-catching features are the two large blackish spots at the inner margin.  The innermost spot forms half a crescent shape; the outer spot forms an approximate half-circle.  When the moths is at rest, with wings closed, it appears to have a dark crescent followed by a dark circle in the middle of its back.  In some specimens, these dark spots appear to be partially bordered by a narrow pale beige to whitish line.  There are a few small blackish dots or spots near the anal angle.  Forbes (1923) indicates a wingspan of 12 mm.

According to Rings and Metzler (Rings, R.W. and Metzler, E.H. 2002. The Lepidoptera of Portage County, Ohio.  OARDC Research Bulletin 1195; available on the Internet), the larvae of Phaneta tomonana feed on the flower heads of aster, and the adult moths emerge in August and September.  Forbes (1923) also indicates an adult flight season of August and September.

My records to date for Phaneta tomonana (each date representing "the night of") are in the table below: