Macromoths of Northwest Forests and Woodlands
Hyppa brunneicrista [Noctuidae]
Wingspan 4.0 cm. Forewing is pale gray with a black band along the inner margin bordered with red-brown, inner margin with black band interrupted by a jagged basal line; males with strongly pectinate antennae. This noctuid is common and occurs in high elevation conifer forests in the Rocky Mountains and Cascade Mountains. Moths fly in early summer. Caterpillars feed on the foliage of alder (Alnus) and fireweed (Epilobium).
Similar species: Hyppa xylinoides is larger, forewing more elongate, the male antennae only weakly pectinate, common and widely distributed in western North America, caterpillars feed on the foliage of flowering trees and shrubs; Hyppa indistincta forewing with a continuous black band along the inner margin that is not interrupted by the basal line, male antennae filiform, common in dry forests in the Pacific West.
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