Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

8 June 2004   8:39PM EST

Ancylis albacostana is one of 22 species of Ancylis recorded from the Ottawa area (J. D. Lafontaine, pers. comm., 2001).  My initial identification of Ancylis albacostana was based on Internet resources.  My thanks to Dr. Jean-François Landry of Agriculture Canada for confirming the identity of the specimen illustrated above, which was given to the Canadian National Collection in Ottawa.  This specimen was also included in the All Leps Barcode of Life project of the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario at the University of Guelph.  Some additional information was obtained from Internet resources and from Forbes, William T.M., The Lepidoptera of New York and Neighboring States, Primitive Forms, Microlepidoptera, Pyraloids, Bombyces (Ithaca, New York: Cornell University, 1923).

Ancylis albacostana has a predominantly dull brownish-gray (or grayish-brown) forewing, somewhat paler towards the inner margin.  A bright white stripe extends along the costa from the base nearly to the apex.  There is some darker mottling in the gray area, with a dark spot about one-third of the way along the gray area.  The apex has a short black streak.  There are some white and pale gray markings near the anal angle.  Forbes (1923) indicates a wingspan of 19 mm.

Forbes (1923) gives no information as to larval host plant, but indicates the adult Ancylis albacostana flies in May.

My only record to date for Ancylis albacostana (each date representing "the night of") is in the table below: