Furcula cinerea

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum Read more about this collection »

Common NameGrey Furcula SeasonalityAdults are on the wing late May though mid-July IdentificationA medium-size (3.3-4.5 cm wingspan) pale grey moth. The long silky hair on the body is typical of the genus. The forewings are pale pearl grey shading to white at the wing-base. The normal lines are reduced to a few dark marks, in particular at the costa, and a series of black dots on the outer margin in the spaces between the veins. There are also a few small patches of gold or orange scales along the lower forewing margin. The hindwings are white with a row of prominent back spots between the veins along the margin, and a small dark discal spot. All other Furcula species have a sharply contrasting dark median band crossing the forewings. The nominate subspecies been reported from the Llyodminster region. Subspecies wileyi occurs in the grasslands region of southern Alberta; it is larger and paler than ssp. cinerea.

Scientific Name Furcula cinerea Common Name Grey Furcula Habitat Deciduous forest and shrub Seasonality Adults are on the wing late May though mid-July Identification

A medium-size (3.3-4.5 cm wingspan) pale grey moth. The long silky hair on the body is typical of the genus. The forewings are pale pearl grey shading to white at the wing-base. The normal lines are reduced to a few dark marks, in particular at the costa, and a series of black dots on the outer margin in the spaces between the veins. There are also a few small patches of gold or orange scales along the lower forewing margin. The hindwings are white with a row of prominent back spots between the veins along the margin, and a small dark discal spot. All other Furcula species have a sharply contrasting dark median band crossing the forewings. The nominate subspecies been reported from the Llyodminster region. Subspecies wileyi occurs in the grasslands region of southern Alberta; it is larger and paler than ssp. cinerea.

Life History The adults are diurnal and come to lights. Larvae are solitary defoliators. There is a single brood which overwinters as pupae. Conservation No concerns. Diet Info No Alberta data. Elsewhere larval hosts are reported to be poplar (Populus sp.) and willow (Salix). Range Nova Scotia west to BC. In Alberta, cinerea occurs in the wooded portions of the valleys in the grasslands region and locally in the aspen parklands.

Page Citation

"Species Details - Furcula cinerea, University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum." University of Alberta Museums Search Site, https://search.museums.ualberta.ca/g/2-701/9-250205. Accessed 25 Feb. 2025.

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UASM187001 - Furcula cinerea

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Dinosaur Provincial Park Collected ByAnweiler, G. G. Date Collected1999-06-11