Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

22 May 2004   9:35PM EST  (top left)
5 May 2005   9:32PM EST  (top right)
19 May 2004   9:30Pm EST  (bottom left)
15 May 2004   9:28PM EST  (bottom right)

Colocasia flavicornis was named for its orange antennae, and is sometimes called the Yellowhorn moth. The forewing is medium to light gray. A black line connects the black antemedial and postmedial lines a little more than halfway down the wing, and the part of the median area below this connecting line is very dark gray to black; when the moth is in a resting position with wings closed, the dark shield shape thus created is a convenient aid to identification. The orbicular spot is outlined in black, and often filled with light gray to white; sometimes, however, the filling is darker gray as in the specimen at top left. The reniform spot is partially outlined in black -- the line along the inner side of this spot is most consistently present -- and filled with gray with minimal contrast with the main forewing color. There is usually some darker shading around the jagged scallops of the subterminal line. The hindwing is gray, sometimes slightly brownish in tone. Covell (1984) notes a wingspan 0f 3.3 to 4.0 cm for this moth.

Colocasia propinquilinea (Hodges 9185) is somewhat similar, and also has orange antennae. However, C. propinquilinea has no line joining the am and pm lines across the median, and lacks the dark shield shape that C. flavicornis exhibits at rest. C. propinquilinea is also slightly larger.

According to Handfield (1999), the larvae of Colocasia flavicornis feed on hop-hornbeam (also known as ironwood), beech, maple, basswood, birch and alder. Handfield indicates an adult flight season from before mid-May nearly to mid-July for my general area.

My records to date for Colocasia flavicornis (each date representing "the night of") are in the table below: