Elegant Prominent

A widespread and fairly common species; no concerns.

Adults in Alberta late May through mid-July, larvae from late June through September.

Transcontinental across southern Canada, in particular in the parkland and southern boreal forest region, south to Texas. In Alberta found across the aspen parklands and the foothills, north into the boreal forest at least to the Ft. McMurray area.

A rather large (4.5-6 cm. wingspan) moth with dark slate-grey forewings, shading to paler gray toward the lower margin . The forewing margin is somewhat scalloped, with a short, white basal line with pale orange scaling below and a prominent "tooth" midway along the lower margin. The hindwing is white, shading to dark grey in the anal angle. Unmistakable.

Mature poplar forest and mixedwood forest with poplars.

The adults are nocturnal and come to light. There is a single brood, and the larvae are solitary defoliators. They overwinter in the pupal stage.

No Alberta data available; elsewhere poplars. Canadian records (Prentice et al. 1962) are all from aspen poplar (Populus tremuloides).

Odontosia elegans, the elegant prominent, is a species of moth in the family Notodontidae (the prominents). It was first described by Herman Strecker in 1885 and it is found in North America.

The MONA or Hodges number for Odontosia elegans is 7924.