About Hydraecia medialis Smith, 1892
Hydraecia medialis is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. It is native to western North America. East of the Cascade Range, it occurs as far north as the Cariboo region of south-central British Columbia. Its range extends across the Rocky Mountains in Montana, then spreads north and south across the Great Plains to reach Alberta, western Dakotas, and northern New Mexico. This moth inhabits open ponderosa pine forests, drier sagebrush steppe, and juniper woodlands. The forewings of adult Hydraecia medialis measure 16 to 24 mm in length. Adult moths are pale gray-tan, with a darker median area that is often reddish in color, a thick red-brown or brown-and-white postmedial line, and spots with pale filling. The hindwings are pale yellow-tan with variable gray suffusion. Adults are active on the wing from mid-August to September. Its larvae are thought to bore into the stems and roots of Lupinus species.
