Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

26 May 2006   10:23PM EST  (top left)
26 May 2006  (date of moth capture)  (top right, bottom left and right)
All four photos are of the same specimen.

Phaneta striatana is one of about 20 species of Phaneta recorded from the Ottawa area  (J. D. Lafontaine, pers. comm., 2001).  My identification of Phaneta striatana 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 striatana has a forewing of a brownish-gray or dark taupe color, paler along the inner margin, with distinctive white markings. There is a lengthwise white streak adjacent to the costa from the base to a point slightly beyond the midpoint of the wing, with a parallel broader white streak lengthwise from the base through the middle of the wing to a point at about three-quarters of the wing length.  Along the outer half of the costa there are several short white streaks angling downward and outward towards a small black point near the outer margin.  Near the anal angle, the speculum is whitish with black streaks towards either edge.  The fringe is gray.  The head and thorax are white.  Forbes (1923) indicates a wingspan of 15 mm.

According to Forbes (1923), Phaneta striatana is a day-flier, which flies in grasslands at the end of May.  He gives no information as to host plants.

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