Parabagrotis sulinaris Lafontaine

A Pacific northwestern species, found from coastal southern BC south to northern California, east and southeast to extreme southwestern Alberta and western Montana. In Alberta known from a single recent specimen from Waterton Lakes National Park.

A medium size (3.5-4.0 cm wingspan) moth with red-brown thorax and forewings and dark grey-brown hindwings. The basal two-thirds of the forewings are red-brown, the outer third duller brown, in particular the wide slightly paler brown terminal band. The costa from base to reniform spot is pale contrasting yellow or yellow orange. The large orbicular and reniform spots are lighter brown and stand out. The elongate claviform and part of the basal line are outlined in light brown or yellow. Similar to pale specimens of P. exertistigma, but larger and redder.

Occurs in open woodland and meadows.

Poorly known. Adults are nocturnal and come to light. The only Alberta specimen was collected August 31. The larvae (as P. insularis) is described by Crumb (1956). According to Lafontaine (1998) the larvae differ from that of P. exertistigma by “dark brown rather than white spiracles and the middorsal white line is not bordered by black lines as in exertistigma.” (Lafontaine, 1998).

The larvae feed on grasses.