Erannis vancouverensis

Until recently our moth on Vancouver Island was regarded merely as a race of E. tiliaria, and it is also very similar to the European E. defoliaria, known as the Mottled Umber. The caterpillars feed on most broad-leaved trees and shrubs in the spring and early summer. The caterpillar is distinctive in the way that, in response to disturbance, it bends its thorax backwards and spreads its thoracic legs in what it hopes is a menacing pose. Late summer and fall are spent as a pupa, and the adults emerge in November and December. The males are quite variable in their markings; the females are flightless.