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Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada
10 May 2005 1:12AM EST (top)
28 April 2003 8:57PM EST (bottom)
Eupithecia ravocostaliata is one of more than 25 species
of Eupithecia that have been recorded in the Ottawa area (J.D. Lafontaine,
pers. comm., 2001). Many of these species are similar enough in appearance
that they cannot be reliably identified without expert examination, but E.
ravocostaliata is sufficiently distinctive to be one of the few that can be
identified relatively easily on the basis of its appearance.
At rest, Eupithecia ravocostaliata takes the typical
resting position of most of the Eupithecia species, with its somewhat
elongated forewings extended to the sides, showing a small part of the hindwing,
and displaying its whole body. The thorax is pearly yellowish-white, with
a very smooth appearance. The head and often the tip of the abdomen are
very white. The forewings are mostly light gray, with a dark rusty-gray
streak down the costal edge nearly to the apex, interrupted by the double white
antemedial and postmedial lines, and terminating at the white subterminal
line. These lines are scalloped along the inner edge, and are clearest at
the costa and inner margin. The lower third of the forewing is also
usually colored rusty-brown to darker gray. There is a dark blotch midway
down the wing between the postmedial and subterminal lines. The discal dot
is evident as a vertical black dash. The pattern continues onto the
hindwing at the inner margin, but the rest of the hindwing is pale with little
pattern evident. E. ravocostaliata is larger than many other Eupithecia
species, and I estimate that the specimens I've photographed have wingspans in
the order of 2.5 cm or more.
According to Handfield (1999), the main host plant for Eupithecia
ravocostaliata is willow, but the larvae may also feed on cherry, viburnum,
birch, poplar and alder. He indicates an adult flight season from
the end of April nearly to mid-June for my general area.
My records to date for Eupithecia ravocostaliata (each date
representing "the night of") are in the table below: |
