Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

17 July 2003  11:54PM EDT

My thanks to Dr. J. Donald Lafontaine of Agriculture Canada for identifying the first specimen I photographed, and for confirming my identification of the specimen illustrated above, which was collected and given to the Canadian National Collection in Ottawa.

Dyspyralis nigella is a small noctuid, comparable in size to some of the smaller Idia species (about 2 cm wingspan) to which it bears a superficial resemblance.  Indeed, Idia was the first possibility that occurred to me when I photographed it in 2002.  Don Lafontaine, however, pointed to the four white marks along the costa, which are absent in Idia species.  The forewing overall is very dark brown, almost black, with a curved cream line marking the reniform spot.  At the costa, the innermost white mark indicates the beginning of the somewhat jagged pm line, which bends sharply outwards just below the costa but curves inward again below the reniform spot.  A somewhat jagged subterminal line and antemedial line may also be discernible.  The hindwing is brownish.

According to Handfield (1999), the host plant for this species is unknown.  He indicates an adult flight season from early July to early August for my general area. 

I have recorded this species only twice to date, in 2002, on 15 July; in 2003, on 17 July.