Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

30 July 2003   10:53PM EDT  (top)
7 July 2002   12:58AM EDT  (bottom)

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

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

The forewing of Hypena edictalis is grayish brown, sometimes with a yellowish cast in the basal and subterminal areas.  The antemedial line is yellowish, with a deep outward scallop near the inner margin.  The postmedial line is yellowish and fairly straight, with a shallow angular bend about a third of the way down from the costa. The median has a darker brown streak running lengthwise through the middle, below the black marks of the orbicular and reniform spots.  The subterminal line is evident as a row of dark dots, sometimes accented with whitish marks, in the upper half of the wing.  There is some darker shading between the st line and the outer margin.  The hindwing is grayish brown.  Covell (1983) gives a wingspan ranging from 3.3 to 4.2 cm.

The larval host plant for Hypena edictalis is unknown.  Handfield (1999) indicates an adult flight season from late June to early August for my general area.

I have recorded this species twice, in 2002 on 6/7 July; in 2003, on 30 July.