Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

12 July 2002   11:59PM EST  (top left)
9 July 2001   3:20AM EST  (top right)
20 July 2002   11:16PM EST  (bottom)

At rest, Peridea basitriens often holds its wings in a fairly flattened position, and sometimes the forward edge of the hingwing, which may have a somewhat hairy appearance, protrudes a little beyond the folded forewing as in the first photo above.  Covell (1984) has called this species the Oval-Based Prominent, in light of the elliptical pattern in the basal area of the forewing, often accented with orange/brown.  The rest of the forewing is generally gray, and the veins are usually clearly visible outside the postmedial line in the subterminal area.  A black tuft projects from the inner margin, but can be hard to distinguish with the wings closed; this tuft is not at all obvious in the photo at top left, but can be recognized in the top right photo if you know that it's there.

Handfield (1999) indicates that the larva of Peridea basitriens feeds on elm and on sugar maple, both of which are plentiful at my location.

I have photographed this species in 2000 on 19 and 28 July; in 2001 on 30 June and on 5 and 9 July; in 2002 on 11 and 19 June, and on 10 and 12 July.