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

  • From: "Jean Obrist" <innisfreehorses@xxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <ncsc-moths@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Sun, 20 Feb 2011 22:03:35 -0500

According to All-Leps BOL, Rhyacionia busckana has been found near Cosby, TN 
(eastern mountains)
Also, R. frustrana was in the same area of Cocke Co, TN and in middle AL.
I have not seen them yet, but I am at a lower elevation with not as many pines.

Jean Obrist
Cocke Co, TN
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: J. Merrill Lynch 
  To: ncsc-moths@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Sunday, February 20, 2011 9:28 PM
  Subject: [ncsc-moths] Re: ID Help, Please ( Rhyacionia )


  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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