Macromoths of Northwest Forests and Woodlands
Xylena cineritia [Noctuidae]
Wingspan 5.1 cm. Forewing is elongate, gray with a narrow yellow subapical streak, discal spots small and touching, reniform spot strongly curved outward. This noctuid is common and widely distributed in high elevation conifer forests. Moths fly in fall until spring. Caterpillars feed on the foliage of rose (Rosa), elderberry (Sambucus), and spiraea (Spiraea).
Similar species: Xylena curvimacula forewing with a broad yellow subapical streak that extends inward across the discal cell, widespread in wet coastal forests and in riparian forests east of the Cascade Mountains; Xylena nupera forewing is yellow-brown with a small, straight reniform spot and a black median streak, widely distributed; Xylena thoracica forewing is gray with large discal spots, a small yellow subapical streak, common in high elevation conifer forests of the Cascade Mountains and Rocky Mountain region; Xylena brucei forewing is gray with large discal spots but no yellow streak, occurs in ponderosa pine forests.
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