About Aedia leucomelas (Linnaeus, 1758)
The wingspan of Aedia leucomelas is approximately 38 millimeters, or 1.5 inches. The antennae of male Aedia leucomelas are almost simple. Male forelegs do not have scaly tufts or long fringes. The body is fuscous. The thorax and forewings are suffused with olive or white. The forewings have indistinct sub-basal and waved antemedial lines. There are traces of orbicular, reniform, and claviform spots on the forewings. A postmedial double waved line is slightly excurved beyond the cell. Traces of an irregular sub-marginal line are present, along with a series of marginal black specks. The hindwings are pure white, with the inner margin suffused with fuscous. The outer half of the hindwings is black, with white patches at the apex and anal angle. On the ventral side of the forewings, the basal two thirds are white, with a spot at the end of the cell. This moth flies from June to September, with flight timing varying by location. The larvae feed mainly on Convolvulus species, including C. sepium, C. erubescens and C. arvensis. They also feed on Ipomoea pes-caprae and Ipomoea batatas, and may feed on Chondrilla juncea.
