Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

2 August 2003   11:46PM EST  (top)
25 May 2004   10:59PM EST  (second from top)
28 July 2004   12:28AM EST  (bottom left)
17 June 2003   10:54PM EST  (bottom right)

Euphyia intermediata was formerly known as Euphyia unangulata intermediata, and treated as a North American subspecies of the European moth Euphyia unangulata.  Its general appearance is very typical of many Larentiinae, or carpet moths, in its pattern of cross lines and bands of color reminiscent of the border patterns of some oriental carpets. It can be distinguished from other similar species by the rounded outward bulge of its antemedial band and its nearly square apical patch.  The innermost part of the basal area is a somewhat reddish dark brown.  The antemedial band is gray-brown, bounded on the inner edge by a single whitish and somewhat jagged line, and on the outer edge by a double whitish line; the shape of the antemedial band does not curve smoothly across the wing, but bulges noticeably outward.  The median is dark blackish brown, with a short, sharp tooth pointing outward from the midpoint.  The tooth is defined by a double whitish postmedial line, sometimes filled with dark gray. The pm line is generally not as clear and bright a white as in the similar species Epirrhoe alternata (Hodges 7394), and it typically extends straight downward from the costa to the beginning of the tooth. The outer edge of the double pm line also often appears to be traced with a gray line in sharp scallops, unlike Epirrhoe alternata.  In the subterminal area, the scalloped white subterminal line often does not stand out against a contrasting background, but is followed by light gray to light brown shading along the outer margin.  The dark apical patch is quite square in shape, and well defined.  There is also darker patch at the outer margin a short distance below the apex, usually somewhat diffuse.  The hindwing is grayish and fairly pale, with indistinct whitish lines.  Covell (1984) notes a wingspan from 2.3 to 2.7 cm for Euphyia intermediata.

According to Handfield (1999), the larvae of Euphyia intermediata feed on a variety of plants, including bedstraws, elm and members of the carnation and mustard families. He indicates two generations per year for my general area, with adult flight seasons from late April to mid-July, and from late July to late September.

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