University of Alberta Museums Search

A medium-size moth (3.2-3.5 cm wingspan) with black and white forewings and brown hingwings. The forewings are almost black with extensive areas of pale, reflective silvery greenish-grey scaling in the basal and terminal areas. Stigma is large and silver, connecting to a silvery patch in the basal area with the pale postmedian band and with a silver patch at the orbicular. Fringe is checkered black and white. The hingwings are sooty brown, with a broad darker brown terminal band. Superficially similar to several other Syngrapha species, in particular S. alias and S. octoscripta. The more extensive silvery-white scaling on the forewings and in particular, the white at the orbicular spot, will separate rectangula from the others.

No Alberta data. Elsewhere in Canada, the larvae have been found on a variety of coniferous trees, including fir (Abies), hemlock (Tsuga), spruce (Picea) and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga); however, they show a decided preference for firs.