''Ponometia candefacta'', the olive-shaded bird-dropping moth, is a moth of the family

Noctuidae The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are a family of moths. They are considered the most controversial family in the superfamily Noctuoidea because many of the clades are constantly changing, along with the other f ...

. It is found in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

, where it has been recorded from the northern United States to southern Mexico. It has been introduced to Russia as a biological control agent of '' Ambrosia artemisiifolia''. The habitat consists of dry, weedy, disturbed areas at low elevations. The wingspan is 18–22 mm. The forewings are white near the base and along the costa, with grey and yellowish mottling in the median and subterminal areas. The hindwings are pale whitish grey, becoming gradually darker grey to the margin on the outer half. Adults are on wing in summer, from April to September. The larvae feed on Asteraceae, including ''

Aster Aster or ASTER may refer to: Biology * ''Aster'' (genus), a genus of flowering plants ** List of ''Aster'' synonyms, other genera formerly included in ''Aster'' and still called asters in English * Aster (cell biology), a cellular structure shap ...

'' and ''

Ambrosia In the ancient Greek myths, ''ambrosia'' (, grc, ἀμβροσία 'immortality'), the food or drink of the Greek gods, is often depicted as conferring longevity or immortality upon whoever consumed it. It was brought to the gods in Olympus ...

'' species. They are green with a white lateral stripe.

References

Moths described in 1831 Acontiinae Lepidoptera used as pest control agents {{Acontiinae-stub