Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

6 June 2003   10:20PM EDT  (top)
6 June 2003   11:45PM EDT  (bottom)
Both photographs are of the same specimen.

Hypena manalis is one of about 10 species of Hypena recorded from the Ottawa area.

The forewing of Hypena manalis is light brown with a yellowish or grayish cast.  The basal area is entirely light brown.  A rich dark brown patch in the median, outlined in creamy white, suggests that the resting moth has a velvet stole draped around its shoulders.  The lowest corner of this patch approaches but does not reach the inner margin.  The subterminal area is lightly suffused darker brown towards the outer margin, with heavier shading around a light triangular patch at the apex.  The hindwing is a uniform dark brown.  Covell (1983) indicates a wingspan of 2.3 to 2.8 cm.

Hypena manalis can be distinguished from the similar Hypena baltimoralis (Hodges 8442) by noting the following differences: the dark brown medial patch in H. baltimoralis has a wavy outer edge and begins right at the "shoulder", whereas in H. manalis, the outer edge of this patch is smoothly curved, and the patch begins well after the point of attachment of the wing.

The larval host plant for this species is unknown.  Handfield (1999) indicates two generations per year for my general area, with adult flight seasons from late June to mid-July, and from early to late August.

I have recorded this species in 2000, on 29 June; in 2001, on 30 July; in 2003, on 6 June and on 21 July.