Dimorphic Pinion Moth Lithophane patefacta (Walker, 1858)

Family: Noctuidae

Subfamily: Noctuinae

Identification: Adult has two color forms: light form - forewing pale brownish-gray to silvery-gray with short dark diagonal marks along costa; subreniform spot black, oblong or oval, with a smooth (not irregular) outline, and a sharply-defined (not diffuse) edge; small white spot usually present at distal end of subreniform spot; AM and PM lines represented by indistinct dark dots; diffuse dark patches along outer margin near apex and anal angle, and midway along costa; faint reddish-brown shading may be present in area around reniform spot; except for the prominent subreniform spot, most of the forewing surface is uniformly pale, giving a "washed out" appearance dark form - lower two-thirds of forewing dark brown to blackish, as in dark forms of several other Lithophane species; upper third (along costa) pale brown or tan; hindwing dark gray with pale fringe in both forms

Wing Span: wingspan about 3.6 cm

Life History:

Flight: April to June and September to November

Caterpillar Hosts:

Adult Food:

Habitat:

Range: Ontario and Quebec, south to South Carolina and Georgia, west to Wisconsin; also recorded from British Columbia

Conservation:

NCGR:

Management Needs:

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