SEMIOSCOPIS DEPRESSARID MOTH
Semioscopis megamicrella
DEPRESSARID MOTH FAMILY (Depressrariidae)
The Semioscopis Depressarid moth has a wingspan of approximately .75 to 1 inch. The forewing is pale brown to dark grayish-brown with fine speckling. The subterminal and terminal lines are composed of several dark spots. The reniform spot is a small black arc with dark shading immediately beyond it. There are 2 or 3 dark spots in the antemedian and median areas. There is a long, pale fringe. The hindwing is pale grayish-brown with a thin dark terminal line (sometimes double), and a long, pale fringe.
The frequency of occurrence at Fontenelle Forest and Neale Woods is not known. It has been photographed once at Fontenelle Forest Nature Center in mid-March 2016. Adults fly in early spring to May, and are attracted to lights. The range is the northern United States and southern Canada.
The larval food is unknown. The genus Semioscopis is in the subfamily Depressariinae which has 600 species worldwide, but new species are being discovered on a regular basis. The caterpillars in this subfamily usually develop in leaves spun together with silk, as stem borers or as seed or flower feeders.
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