Red Winged Wave

Limited range in Alberta; more field data needed.

In Alberta early May through late June.

Crowsnest Pass / Waterton region of extreme southwest Alberta and southern BC, south to Nevada and California (McGuffin 1977).

A colourful day-flying moth, occasionally mistaken for a butterfly when flying. The forewing is chocolate brown with a whitish submarginal shade, and black PM, AM and median lines. The hindwing is bright reddish orange with two bold black transverse lines and fine black striations. Superficially similar to Archiaris infans, but the hindwing has two crisp black lines not joined to a broad dark patch on the inner margin as it is in infans.

Montane woodlands.

The immature stages are undescribed. Adults are diurnal, and are not known to come to light. Although not closely related, the seasonality, display of bright orange during flight and cryptic colouration while at rest are strikingly similar to both Archiearis infans and Aglais (Nymphalis) milberti. It has been suggested that the European representatives of these species, Archiearis parthenias and Aglais urticae, represent a case of convergent colouration resulting from bird predation pressure (Rydell et al. 2001).

Dasyfidonia avuncularia, the red-winged wave, is a species of geometrid moth in the family Geometridae. It is found in North America.

The MONA or Hodges number for Dasyfidonia avuncularia is 6426.