Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

18 June 2004   10:10PM EST

Heliomata cycladata is a small, striking geometrid, primarily a day flier, but also attracted to lights at night.  Both forewing and hindwing are blackish, marked with creamy white blotches.  On the forewing, there is a narrow white blotch extending downward from the costa near the apex, and a larger white blotch extending upward from the inner margin in the medial area.  A similar large creamy blotch covers most of the medial area of the hindwing.  The faint glimmer of metallic blue spots can be seen along the terminal line.  The fringe is blackish.  Covell (1984) indicates a wingspan from 1.7 to 2.2 cm for this species.

According to Handfield (1999) and Covell, the larvae of Heliomata cycladata feed on black locust and honey locust, neither of which is native to my locality, but which have sometimes been planted as ornamentals in my neighborhood.   Handfield indicates an adult flight season from mid-May to late June for my general area, but my observations suggest a slightly later flight period at my location.

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