Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

18 July 2003   11:14PM EST  (left)
13 July 2003   12:22AM EST  (right)

My identification of this species is based on comparison of my photos with specimens in the Canadian National Collection in Ottawa.  My thanks to Dr. J. Donald Lafontaine of Agriculture Canada for access to this resource.

Sparganothis unifasciana is one of about 15 species of Sparganothis known to occur in the Ottawa area.  The forewing is yellow in color, often slightly tinged with orange.  An irregular diagonal brown band originates at the costa about a third of the way along, and terminates just beyond the midpoint of the inner margin; this band is usually wider towards the costa, and its color may continue farther out along the inner margin.  About two-thirds of the way along the costa, there is a brown blotch.  Another brown blotch occurs near the midpoint of the outer margin.

I have no information about the larval host plant or life cycle of Sparganothis unifasciana.

I have photographed this species in 2000 on 5 July; in 2001, on 3, 5, 7, 16 and 18 July; in 2002, on 4, 5, 11 and 19 July; in 2003, on 13, 17, 18 and 23 July.