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Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada
9 May 2004 8:59PM EST (left)
9 May 2004 9:00PM EST (right)
Both photos are of the same specimen.
Orthosia revicta, also known as the Subdued Quaker, is one
of five species of Orthosia that have been recorded from the Ottawa area
(J.D. Lafontaine, pers. comm., 2001), all of which are illustrated on this
website. Several of these species are quite variable in appearance, an
issue complicated by the frequent occurrence of worn specimens and the
propensity of the forewing color and pattern to be obscured by reflections from
flash photography. Orthosia revicta, fortunately, is generally
distinguishable from the rest by virtue of the clear dark brown
"underline", broken at the veins, along the outer edge of the
subterminal line.
Orthosia revicta specimens that I have seen have a
light bluish gray forewing. Most of the usual lines and spots are pale
yellowish gray, accented with reddish brown. In the specimen illustrated,
the scalloped antemedial line is quite clearly marked, and the outer edge of the
faint subterminal line has clear dark reddish brown dashes between the veins for
most of its length. The postmedial line is much less clear but still quite
distinguishable. There is also a diffuse reddish brown medial line, which
in some specimens is much darker and broader than in the moth illustrated
here. The outlines of the orbicular and claviform spots are incomplete,
but nonetheless very distinct. The reniform spot has a complete outline,
with darker gray filling. In this specimen there is a hint of reddish
brown shading in the median; this shading is more extensive in some specimens
than in others. The hindwing is somewhat yellowish, with grayish shading
along the outer margin, and a pale fringe.
According to Handfield (1999), the larvae of Orthosia revicta
are reported to feed on many different plants, including willow, poplar, maple,
ash, birch, beech, elm, pincherry, oak and walnut. For my general area, he indicates an adult flight season from
about mid-April nearly to the end of June.
My records to date for Orthosia revicta (each date
representing "the night of") are in the table below: |
