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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Jul 19, 2012 22:16:09 GMT -8
I just collected this guy about a half an hour ago. It looks a lot like the Eumorpha intermedia that I collected last year. They really shouldn't be this far inland though and the one I caught before I wrote off as being a fluke occurrence, probably a stray blown in by the coastal storms that had hit not long before I caught it. Have I caught another stray, or is it just a very heavily worn pandorus? Attachments:
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Jul 19, 2012 22:46:58 GMT -8
I am not sure what a "subterminal line" is, but it is supposed to be wavy on a pandorus and scalloped on an intermedia. Would that be outer edge of the forewing? I took as close of an image as I could get of that area to see if it will help with the id. Attachments:
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Post by oehlkew on Jul 21, 2012 6:30:19 GMT -8
The moth in question has the more brownish colouration typical of Eumorpha intermedia, but it could be a faded E. pandorus, which, in fresh specimen, has a definite greenish cast.
Near the forewing apex, the outermost upper edge, there are two lines
that begin at or just before the apex. The outermost line is called the terminal line. The line just inside that one, and slightly preapical in its origin is called the subterminal line.
In your specimen these lines are probably too worn/faint to be useful in determining the species.
Generally intermedia is a more coastal species, but you did send me a specimen in September, 2011, that I tentatively identified as intermedia, mostly because of the brownish colouration.
I would only offer a very tentative id on this one as intermedia, again because of the brownish colouration. If you get a fresh one that is brownish, the scalloped subterminal line would be diagnostic and would confirm that you have intermedia as far inland as you are.
Bill Oehlke
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Jul 21, 2012 7:53:34 GMT -8
Thanks so much for the help here. I seem to keep finding moths that are too tattered and worn to be sure of the id. I would love to find one that we could positively id as intermedia. I did see a near perfect pandorus at the gas station last night, but my idiot self left my net (that I promised myself that I would never leave home without again) in my car. When I tried to pick it up without damaging it, it flew away. The green on that moth was astonishing!
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