Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

25 August 2003   12:24AM EST  (top)
9 September 2004   12:50AM EST  (bottom)

Adita chionanthi is an attractive, well marked moth which, to me, always has a somewhat luminous quality.  The forewing is predominantly light gray, with some darker shading in the median, and also preceding the subterminal line.  The black antemedial line curves fairly smoothly outward.  The basal line is also black, but finer than the antemedial line.  The black postmedial line bends sharply outward around the reniform spot.  The circular orbicular spot has gray filling surrounded with pale gray to white, outlined by a fine black line.  The reniform spot is similarly colored, although the arrangement of pale and darker gray filling colors is more variable.  In the median, the dark gray shading merges into a black blotch at the costa; the shading preceding the st line could similarly be described as a black blotch at the costa.  A fairly heavy black dash crosses the subterminal area near the anal angle.  The hindwing is whitish with gray-brown shading near the outer margin.  Covell (1983) indicates a wingspan from 3.3 to 3.8 cm for this species.

The larvae of Adita chionanthi feed on several species of ash, according to Handfield (1999); in addition, Covell mentions feverwort and fringe-tree.  Handfield indicates this species has a flight season in my general area from about mid-August to late September.

I have recorded this species in 2001 on 19 September; in 2002, on 29 and 31 August, and on 8, 9 and 12 September; in 2003, on 15, 24/25 and 31 August, and on 18 September; in 2004, on 8/9 September.