Macromoths of Northwest Forests and Woodlands
Synedoida ochracea [Noctuidae]
Wingspan 4.6 cm. Forewing is light to dark brown with a narrow black reniform spot; hindwing orange with a black median band, submarginal border, and discal spot. This noctuid is widely distributed in wet forests west of the Cascade Mountains and in riparian forests east of the Cascade Mountains. Moths fly in midsummer. Caterpillars feed on the foliage of elderberry (Sambucus).
Similar species: Synedoida edwardsii forewing is dark gray with a black reniform spot, hindwing with broad black bands. The following five species have a large, pale, sharply dentate reniform spot; Synedoida divergens forewing with white lines on the reniform spot and a pale yellow to white median band; Synedoida adumbrata is small, forewing with a gray reniform spot; Synedoida hudsonica forewing with a white reniform spot, hindwing white to cream, occurs in high elevation conifer forests; Synedoida howlandi hindwing is red-orange, occurs in ponderosa pine forests and juniper woodlands; Synedoida sabulosa wings are gray.
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