Grayish Zanclognatha
Zanclognatha pedipilasis
OWLET MOTH FAMILY (Erebidae)
The Grayish Zanclognatha is about 5/8 inch long and has a wingspan of 1 inch. The forewing and hindwing are pale grayish-tan. The second brood is darker. The AM line is sharply bent near the costa. The PM line has a rounded bulge. The subterminal line fades before reaching the apex. The male’s antennae have a distinctive “twist” of enlarged scales. The caterpillar is grayish-brown with a black mid-dorsal stripe and tan vertical bands between abdominal segments 1 and 9.
The frequency of occurrence is not known. It has been photographed in mid-May in Fontenelle Forest and mid-June in Neale Woods. The moths fly from May through August. They can be found sitting on leaves of low growing plants in the wooded areas.
Another common name for this species is Grayish Fan-foot. Males of some species have feathery front feet which are used to detect the pheromones emitted by females. Generally most male moths have feathery antennae which detect hormones. The larvae eat dead deciduous leaves.
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