The Black-barred Brown Moth has a wingspan of 1 to 1.5 inches. The forewing is dark gray-brown with a small, sharp black bar formed from the merged orbicular spot and the claviform spots. There is a dark brown triangular-shaped mark near the apex. The antemedial and postmedial lines are whitish. The postmedial line is curved below the triangle. The hindwing is grayish-brown. The caterpillar is pale green and white with small bumps and short white hairs on each segment.
The frequency of occurrence of this moth in our area is not known, but it is considered to be uncommon in its range. It has been photographed at Fontenelle Forest Nature Center in early August 2015. Adults fly from June to September.
The larvae eat the seeds and flowers of Giant Ragweed (Ambrosia trifida). The species overwinters as a pupa.
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