Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

27 June 2005   9:24PM EST  (left and center)
29 June 2005   9:24PM EST  (right)
The photos at left and center are of the same specimen.

My identification of Aethes rutilana was based 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), together with Internet resources.  According to Forbes, this species was introduced to North America about 1878.

Aethes rutilana has a bright yellow forewing, crossed by four wide reddish stripes, the innermost one right at the base of the wing, and the outermost one a short distance in from the outer margin.  The outermost stripe of red doesn't cross the wing, but turns inward before it reaches the anal angle, and joins the preceding red stripe.  The hindwing is gray with a slight reddish tint.  Forbes (1923) gives the wingspan as 9 to 12 mm.

According to Forbes (1923), the larva of Aethes rutilana makes tubular webs between the needles of juniper. He indicates the adult moth flies in June.

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