University of Alberta Museums Search

A relatively small (approx. 2.5 cm wingspan) broad-winged drab dirty white moth with blackish brown markings. The forewings are dull white, with a small dark patch in the basal area and a broad dark median band, widest at the costa and tapering to half that width before breaking near mid-wing, then continuing on to the lower margin but in a much faded and broken form. There is a small, double-toothed dark patch in the subterminal area below the apex, and another on the costa just basad of the apex. The dark terminal line is thin and broken, and the fringe is lightly checkered. The lighter ground is crossed by a series of narrow wavy incomplete vertical lines, giving it a mottled pattern. The hindwings are paler, with the same faint cross lines most prominent and darker towards the margin. There is a small dark discal dot on all four wings. Male antennae strongly pectinate, female simple. Very similar to X. fossaria, but much smaller and fossaria is confined to the mountains. See also X. ramaria and X. incursata. Other Alberta Xanthorhoe have either much less mottled wings, or the median band is brighter brown or red-brown, not dull blackish brown. Eulithis explanata also has a similar pattern, but is much larger and a cold lead grey color.

Iduata ranges from NL west across the boreal forest to BC, south in wooded parts of eastern North America. In Alberta it has been collected from the northern Boreal forest to the northern edge of the Aspen parklands, in and near wooded areas. Not recorded from the mountains or foothills regions.