[tn-moths] Re: Anderson Co. FOYs
- From: Hugh McGuinness <hdmcguinness@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: tn-moths@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 24 Jul 2011 18:06:59 -0400
Hi All,
I find Caernurgina erechtea and C crassiuscula quite difficult to separate.
I think the marks suggested in Covell work for only some specimens--there
are just too many where they don't work. For a given generation erechtea is
larger, but the second generation of erechtea is the same size or smaller
than the first of crassiuscula. I think the 8th abdominal sternite can also
be used, but this requires a male specimen and the scales have to be brushed
off.
I would love to hear from anybody who has a way to separate the males of
these two species. (Female erechtea are easy to ID because they are mostly
unmarked.)
Don Lafontaine once told me that erechtea is actually relatively rare from
the northeast, and that it is mostly misidentified in collections. In this
region erechtea is a species of barrens and dune backs, whereas crassiuscula
is found in grasslands. I would suspect that this pattern holds in TN--i.e.,
that you would be most likely to find it in sandy areas and open pine
barrens with grasslands.
Hugh
On Sun, Jul 24, 2011 at 11:47 AM, <klight10@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> While reviewing my photos today, I found a mistake on one of my IDs. Jean,
> please remove this one from the Anderson Co. records:
>
> 8739 – Caenurgina erechtea – Forage Looper Moth_5-21-11
>
> ******
>
> **I found out it is actually:**
>
> **8738 – *Caenurgina crassiuscula* – Clover Looper Moth **
>
> **They look a lot alike! **
>
> ****
>
> ****
>
> **Here are my latest Anderson Co. moths: **
>
> ****
> **
>
> 8747 – Celiptera frustulum – Black Bit Moth_7-11-11****
>
> 7704 – Eacles imperialis – Imperial Moth_7-16-11****
>
> 8738 – Caenurgina crassiuscula – Clover Looper Moth_7-16-11****
>
> 7146 E – Haematopis grataria – Chickweed Geometer Moth 7-17-11****
>
> 4629 – Acoloithus falsarius – Clemens' False Skeletonizer Moth_maybe
> 7-18-11****
>
> 4698_Parasa chloris_Smaller Parasa 7-18-11****
>
> 4685 – Adoneta spinuloides – Purple-crested Slug Moth_7-21-11****
>
> 5566 – Arta statalis – Posturing Arta Moth_7-21-11****
>
> 7757 – Antheraea polyphemus – Polyphemus Moth_7-22-11****
>
>
>
> Kris Light
>
> Oak Ridge, TN
>
> Anderson Co.**
>
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