Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

6 July 2004   8:21PM EST  (top left)
7 July 2005   10:24PM EST  (top right)
11 July 2004   9:59PM EST  (bottom left)
16 July 2004   9:25PM EST  (bottom right)

Leucania pseudargyria, sometimes called the False Wainscot, is one of eight species of Leucania recorded from the Ottawa area (J.D. Lafontaine, pers. comm., 2001). I loosely divide Leucania into two groups: streaky ones and non-streaky ones; within either group, it can be difficult to distinguish one species from another on the basis of a photograph alone.  My thanks to Dr. J. Donald Lafontaine of Agriculture Canada for confirming my identification of the specimen illustrated at top left above.

Leucania pseudargyria has a yellowish to grayish forewing with a noticeable pinkish or reddish tint.  The scalloped antemedial line is generally evident, as is the double row of dark dots marking the postmedial line.  In the median, pale tan orbicular and reniform spots lack defined outlines, but stand out clearly in contrast with the reddish brown shade in this area.  There is also a patch of reddish brown shading in the terminal area in the upper half of the wing.  The pinkish fringe is preceded by a pale terminal line punctuated with dark dots.  The hindwing is grayish with a beige fringe.  The foretibia of the legs are heavily tufted, so that the moth appears to be wearing fox-fur sleeves.   Covell (1984) indicates a wingspan ranging from 4.0 to 4.6 cm for this species.

Covell (1984) and Rockburne and Lafontaine (1976) note the strong pinkish or reddish tint of the forewing as one clue to distinguishing Leucania pseudargyria from other similar species.  Covell also notes that Leucania pseudargyria is larger than other similar Leucania species and that L. pseudargyria has a faint discal spot on the upper side of the hindwing that does not show on the underside.

According to Handfield (1999), the larvae of Leucania pseudargyria can be a pest on grasses in general; Rockburne and Lafontaine (1976) note the cereal grasses redtop, timothy, wild rye and wheatgrass in paricular. For my general area, Handfield indicates an adult flight season from early June to early August.

My records to date for Leucania pseudargyria (each date representing "the night of", and excluding for which I am not confident of the identification) are in the table below: