Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

22 July 2003  (specimen captured on 15 July 2003)

To the inexperienced eye, Amphipyra tragopoginis has few distinctive markings to distinguish it from other large brown noctuids, and I am grateful to Dr. J. Donald Lafontaine of Agriculture Canada for providing this identification.

The forewing of Amphipyra tragopoginis is a fairly even dark brown, less reddish than it appears in the photo above.  Faint black marks indicate the orbicular and reniform spots, but otherwise it has no obvious lines or markings.  The wings tend to be shiny.  Its wingspan is in the range of 32 to 40 mm, making it smaller than Amphipyra pyramidoides.

Amphipyra tragopoginis is known as the Mouse Moth in Europe and the British Isles, partly for its grayish brown colour, but partly also for its habit of scuttling (rather than flying) away when disturbed.  Its larvae feed on a variety of herbaceous plants, including the Oyster Plant, Tragopogon porrifolius, from whence its species name.  Handfield (1999) indicates an adult flight season from early July to early September for my general area.

I have photographed this species only once, in 2003 on 15(22) July.