Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

4 August 2002   10:08PM EST  (left)
4 August 2002   10:10PM EST  (right)

Both photographs are of the same specimen.

A sweep of pale yellowish brown, accented with dashes and shades of darker reddish brown, flows along the inner margin and past the anal angle of the gray forewing of Notodonta scitipennis, making this species easy to distinguish from other Notodontids of my area. A small tuft protrudes from the inner margin near the end of the antemedial line (right).  Reniform and orbicular spots are clearly defined by pale outlines.  The antemedial line is scalloped rather than zigzag; this and the postmedial line show most clearly where they cross the lighter area near the inner margin.  Near the apex, there are several dark brown dashes surrounded by lighter brown.  At rest, this moth folds its wings close to the body in the shape of a peaked roof, like many other Notodontids.

According to Handfield (1999), the larvae of Notodonta scitipennis feed on willow and poplar.

I have only photographed Notodonta scitipennis once to date, in 2002 on 4 August.