Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

12 May 2004   10:58PM EST  (top)
11 May 2005   1:16AM EST  (second from top)
5 May 2004   10:23PM EST  (third from top)
8 May 2005   10:36PM EST  (bottom left)
5 May 2003   10:54Pm EST  (bottom right)

Anticlea vasiliata is one of two species of Anticlea that occur in the Ottawa area, and at my location is the more common of the two.  It is also quite variable in appearance, as can be seen in the photos above.  The overall pattern of lines and bands of color is consistent, but variations in the color bands result in moths that look very different to the casual observer.

The ground color of the forewing of Anticlea vasiliata is medium brown.  The usual pattern of lines is most visible in the photo at bottom left, which shows two dark lines defining a band across the basal area, a scalloped dark brown postmedial line with a deep double outward scallop near the midpoint, and a faint whitish scalloped subterminal line.  The band at the outer edge of the basal area is often quite purplish in color, most noticeable in the top photo but also evident in some of the other specimens.  The median is sometimes banded with dark brown shades at either edge, with a beige to white area in between.  The area between the pm and st lines is often purple-brown, usually accompanying a purplish basal band.  The area outside the st line, along the outer margin, is sometimes a more yellowish brown.  The hindwing is grayish tan, sometimes with faint line markings.  From my observations, the forms illustrated in the top two photos above seem to occur more commonly than versions with a very white band in the median or the version that is nearly monochromatic brown.

According to Handfield (1999), the principal host plants for Anticlea vasiliata are wild red raspberry and possibly other species of Rubus.  He indicates an adult flight season from about mid-April to early June for my general area.

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