Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

5 May 2003   8:37PM EST  (top)
26 April 2003   7:58PM EST  (bottom)

Psaphida electilis has a dark gray forewing with clear and distinctive markings.  The orbicular and reniform spots are filled with brownish gray or reddish brown.  A sharp black basal dash extends to "hook around" the brown-filled claviform spot, and the brown shade extends into the basal area on the costal side of this dash.  Lines are black and somewhat obscure except where they are edged with white.  The terminal area is somewhat paler and partly shaded in brown, especially near the anal angle.

The larvae of Psaphida electilis are said to feed on hickory and walnut (Covell, 1983; Handfield, 1999).  Both hickory (Carya cordiformis) and butternut (Juglans cinerea) are found at my location.  According to Handfield (1999), the adult flight season is from about the fourth week of April through mid-May in my general area; my observations suggest a flight season from mid-April through early May.

I have photographed this species in 2002 on 6 May; in 2003, on 14, 18, 26 and 29 April, and on 5 and 9 May.  The specimen in the top photo was collected and given, with another specimen of P. electilis, to the Canadian National Collection in Ottawa, as part of a suite of five Psaphidini species that occur at my location.