Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

9 August 2003  11:14PM EDT  (top)
12 August 2003   8:54PM EDT  (bottom)

Condica videns is one of two species of Condica known to occur in the Ottawa area and, from my observation, it is the less common at my location.

The forewings of Condica videns are yellowish to reddish brown, with a dark brownish to blackish shade in the middle of the wing centered on a black line extending from the base through the reniform spot.  The reniform spot is indicated by a white dot, giving rise to this moth's common name of White-Dotted Groundling.  In the subterminal area, the veins are usually picked out with dark gray to black lines, whereas they are not usually so marked in the median and basal areas.  The terminal line is marked by white dots.  The surface of the forewings is usually somewhat slick and shiny in appearance.

The larvae of Condica videns have been reported to feed on blossoms of asters, goldenrod and other Compositae (Covell, 1983).  Handfield (1999) indicates two broods per season in my general area, the first flying from the end of May through mid-July, and the second flying from early August to early September.

I have photographed this species in 2002, on 19 and 26 June; in 2003, on 17 and 29 June, and on 9 and 12 August.