About Enargia fausta Schmidt, 2010
Enargia fausta is a moth species belonging to the family Noctuidae, first described by Schmidt in 2010. It has long been confused with and is similar to the related species Enargia infumata. Unlike E. infumata, E. fausta does not range south along the Rocky Mountains, and does not extend as far north. This moth is restricted to boreal forest and the transition zone between boreal and deciduous forest. Examined specimens of E. fausta have been collected between central Alberta and New Brunswick, with eastern specimens found as far south as the Ottawa River Valley. The species is presumed to also occur in suitable habitats in northern New York and New England. Ferguson recorded and illustrated a specimen of this species from Glennville, Nova Scotia in 1954. Existing reports of this species from north-eastern Ohio, published by Rings et al. in 1992 under the name E. infumata, require further verification. For male individuals of E. fausta, forewing length measures 17.5 mm. Adult moths are on wing from late July to early September, with most recorded sightings falling after mid-August. Larvae of this species have been recorded feeding on Betula papyrifera, Populus tremuloides, and Populus balsamifera.
