Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

19 May 2003   8:49PM EST  (top left)
25 May 2003   9:31PM EST  (top right)
15 May 2003   10:46PM EST  (bottom)

My identification of this species was initially based on comparison of my photos with specimens in the Canadian National Collection in Ottawa, to which access was kindly arranged by Dr. J. Donald Lafontaine of Agriculture Canada.  My thanks to Dr. Jean-François Landry of Agriculture Canada for his assistance with the identification.

Ethmia bipunctella is one of two species of Ethmia known to occur in the Ottawa area.  At rest, this species usually rolls its wings around its body.  The costal half of the forewing is black, while the remainder of the wing along the inner and outer margins is very white.  The boundary between the black and white areas is generally quite consistent in its shape.  The black reaches the center of the outer margin, but the apex is also white.  A row of black dashes marks the terminal line.  There are three black dots on each side of the thorax, viewed from above, making me wonder why this species wasn't named tripunctella instead of bipunctella.  I have not measured the wing length of this species, but I would estimate it at less than 15 mm.  The moth overall has a very smooth, silky appearance.

The larvae of Ethmia bipunctella have been reported at various Internet sites to feed on viper's bugloss, houndstongue and other plants.

I have photographed this species in 2000 on 24 August; in 2001 on 16 May; in 2002, on 28, 29 and 31 May, on 7 and 11 June, and on 2 and 7 August; in 2003, on 15, 17, 19, 25 and 30 May, on 4, 11, 12, 13, 19 and 29 June, and on 20, 22, 25, 26 and 31 July.