Moth family identification - microscopic characters

Moth family identification - microscopic characters

Workbook


This post illustrates the use of microscopic characters to distinguish a number of moth families. The criteria are shown in the following table, copied from a draft version of a section of a field guide provided by Glenn Cocking in April 2019.

Screen Shot 2019-07-20 at 3.18.52 pm.png

Geometridae

Moth #1 Chlenias banksiaria group. https://atlasoflife.naturemapr.org/Community/Sightings/Details/4230207

  • smooth proboscis

  • labial palps short and forward pointing

  • chaetosema present

  • ocelli absent


Moth #2

  • smooth proboscis

  • labial palps short and forward pointing

  • chaetosema present

  • ocelli absent


Moth #3

https://atlasoflife.naturemapr.org/Community/Sightings/Details/4230259

  • smooth proboscis

  • labial palps short and forward pointing

  • chaetosema present

  • ocelli absent


Geometridae

Moth #4

https://atlasoflife.naturemapr.org/Community/Sightings/Details/4232107

  • labial palps short and pointing downwards

  • chaetosema present

  • ocelli absent


Oecophoridae

Moth #5

https://atlasoflife.naturemapr.org/Community/Sightings/Details/4232103

  • proboscis scaled

  • no chaetosoma

  • no ocellus

  • palpi long and sickle shaped


Moth #6

https://atlasoflife.naturemapr.org/Community/Sightings/Details/4232102

  • proboscis scaled

  • no chaetosoma

  • no ocellus

  • palpi long and sickle shaped

P7210098.jpg

Moth #7

https://atlasoflife.naturemapr.org/Community/Sightings/Details/4232104

  • proboscis scaled

  • no chaetosoma

  • no ocellus

  • palpi long and sickle shaped

P7210112.jpg

Cosmopterigidae?

Moth #8

https://atlasoflife.naturemapr.org/Community/Sightings/Details/4232105


Plutella xylostella

Family Plutellidae

Moth #22-7-1 forewing length 6mm

https://atlasoflife.naturemapr.org/Community/Sightings/Details/4230880


Culama suffusca

Family Cossidae

https://atlasoflife.naturemapr.org/Community/Sightings/Details/4230617

P7300220.jpg

Lepidoscia sp.

Family Psychidae

https://atlasoflife.naturemapr.org/Community/Sightings/Details/4230620


Geometridae

https://atlasoflife.naturemapr.org/Community/Sightings/Details/4232097


20-8-1

https://atlasoflife.naturemapr.org/Community/Sightings/Details/4232858

seen flying around outside, caught with a net

imaged head - has ocellus and very long forward pointing palps, with distal segment pointing upwards

proboscis unscaled

This is a workbook page … a part of our website where we record the observations and references used in making species identifications. The notes will not necessarily be complete. They are a record for our own use.