Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

18 April 2003   9:19PM EST

My thanks to Dr. J.D. Lafontaine of Agriculture Canada for confirming the identification of this specimen.  The specimen has been given to the Canadian National Collection in Ottawa.

Lithophane oriunda is one of over 20 species of Lithophane that have been recorded from the Ottawa area (J.D. Lafontaine, pers.comm., 2001).

When I first saw this specimen, it reminded me of the dark forms of Lithophane petulca (not pictured on this web site) and L. hemina (Hodges 9893), but I quickly realized that it was smaller in size, with more dark area on the wings.  The forewing of Lithophane oriunda is dark brown, with some grayish and reddish overtones.  The costal edge is pale whitish tan with a number of dark streaks extending downward from the edge.  The orbicular and reniform spots are clearly outlined in the same pale tan; the orbicular spot is filled with brown, but the reniform spot is partly filled with whitish tan, and dark brown only at the lower end.  The antemedial and postmedial lines are not evident; there is, however, a blackish rounded V-shaped line extending outward into the median from where the am line would be.  The subterminal line is incompletely marked in whitish tan.  The hindwing is a lighter brownish color.

The larvae of Lithophane oriunda feed on chokecherry.  According to Handfield (1999), this species overwinters as an adult, with flight seasons in my general area from the end of March through late May, and from perhaps mid-September to mid-October.

I have photographed this species only once, in 2003 on 18 April.