[ncsc-moths] Re: ID Help, Please ( Rhyacionia )

  • From: "J. Merrill Lynch" <jmerrilllynch@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: ncsc-moths@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Sun, 20 Feb 2011 21:28:21 -0500

Paul, Harry, et al:

I've looked at the key for Rhyacionia in my old copy of Forbes (1923),
Lepidoptera of New York and Neighboring States.  The determining mark for R.
rigidana is a yellow band immediately in front of the terminal band at the
distal end of the wing.  All three photos at the bottom of the MPG page for
rigidana show this yellow band-- see here:
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=2868
None of the photos of either your's or Harry's moths show this yellow band.
So, on that basis I think we can rule out rigidana for both your
moths.  What bothers me is that your's and Harry's moths show brighter and
more extensive red in the distal half of the forewing and do not match well
with the photos of frustrana on MPG.  However, based on what I've read in
the forestry papers, those two species are sympatric across the range of
loblolly pine in the southeast (and extend northward to New York and Mass
presumably feeding on other pine species there) and are the likely species
to encounter in eastern NC.

The only way this mystery will be solved will be for you to collect one and
send it off for bar-coding.  I'll be interested in hearing the results.

Merrill

On Sun, Feb 20, 2011 at 9:04 PM, Paul <pandlscharf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>  Let me add to the confusion . Last year 3/15/10, I photographed  #1 and
> have it identified as R. rigidana ( Can't remember if I identified it
> through Bugguide or not , but the ID is not positive via speciman ) For the
> last two nights I've been getting several of what might be the same species
> # 2 . Based on Merill's research it's more likely to be  R. rigidana.
> However in my initial study of these two photos I'm not even sure they're
> the same species .  Paul
>



-- 
J. Merrill Lynch
Echo Valley Farm
Watauga County, NC
Elevation:  3,400 feet

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