Goat Sallow

Appearance

Homoglaea hircina is a small to medium-sized moth (FW length 14–16 mm) with a glossy brown forewing marked with smooth pale lines and spots that flies in central British Columbia during the early spring. The forewing has a round apex and outer margin and is nearly uniform glossy warm brown in color. The filling of the brown transverse lines, outlines of the spots, the subterminal line, and distal veins are light brown, while the median line is dark brown. The antemedial and postmedial lines are smooth, excurved across the wing and around the reniform, respectively. The orbicular spot is a small circle or oval. The reniform spot is an upright oval or hourglass-shape, often partially obscure. No claviform spot is evident. The subterminal line is slightly irregular and is preceded by a few ill-defined black spots near the anterior margin. No terminal line is evident at the base of the homogeneous light brown to concolorous fringe. The hindwing is medium-dark brownish gray with darker gray discal spot, veins, and margin. The hindwing fringe is light gray, sometimes slightly pink-tinted. The head and body area mouse-gray. The male antenna is biserrate.

This species can be recognized by its late fall or early spring flight seson, relatively small size, glossy brown color, and smooth pale lines. Homoglaea californica reaches southern British Columbia. It is dull gray-brown rather than glossy and has a more irregular antemedial line that bulges lateral at the posterior margin unlike the smooth excurved one of H. hircina. Homoglaea carbonaria is also similar to H. hircina and the limits of their ranges overlap slightly. It is larger and has a finely toothed postmedial line.

Naming

Homoglaea hircina Morrison, 1876. Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. 18: 240.

Distribution

Canada: Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Ontario
USA: Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Wisconsin

Status

A species of conservation concern in Ohio.

Behavior

Adults of this species eclose in late fall but do not fly commonly until the spring. Most records of this species are from the early spring, often before the snow has melted completely. They fly at night and come to lights.

Habitat

Moist forests with Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides).

Food

This species is a foodplant specialist feeding on quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) in the Salicaceae, preferring the catkins.