Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

27 March 2005   9:59PM EST (top)
27 March 2005   9:59PM EST  (bottom)

Lithophane baileyi is one of over 20 species of Lithophane that have been recorded from the Ottawa area (J.D. Lafontaine, pers.comm., 2001). My thanks to Dr. J. D. Lafontaine of Agriculture Canada for identifying the specimen above, and for helping me to learn how to distinguish L. baileyi from other similar species that occur locally.

Lithophane baileyi has a fairly dark gray forewing, somewhat greenish in tone, with black am and pm lines that may be fairly indistinct.  There is a short black basal dash, edged with white above (on its costal side).  The orbicular spot is not round, but shaped more like a U open at the upper end, outlined in black and filled with light gray to white; the open end butts against a gray streak along the costal edge.  The reniform spot is fairly large, with a paler gray outline filled in dark gray with reddish brown; the brown is more likely to dominate at the lower end of the spot.  The most distinct line is usually the subterminal line, which has black shading along most of its inner edge.  The hindwing is dark grayish brown.  Covell (1983) indicates a wingspan of 3.4 to 3.9 cm for this species.

The larvae of Lithophane baileyi feed on cherry, birch, poplar and jackpine, and may also be cannibalistic, according to Handfield (1999).  Handfield indicates this species overwinters as an adult, with flight seasons in my general area through most of April, and from the end of August to mid-October. 

I have recorded this species in 2001 on 3 April; in 2002, on 11 and 14 April; in 2003, on 14 April; in 2004, on 11 and 25 March; in 2005, on 27. 29 and 30 March.