Oddly bright Ceratomia undulosa

[exoticimports]

I've caught thousands of C undulosa, and they all look pretty much the same. This one (top) though has a lot of bright white. It's not just fresh, I've bred them as well, and they all look pretty much like the bottom specimen.

[exoticimports]

Adding: I was soliciting input. :-)

I looked at my reference specimens, and they all look like the bottom specimen. So I looked at images online and found those with light colored FW, but since they were live, no HW detail.

Now, with the plethora of "recently discovered" (e.g. cryptic) species/ssp., I wonder if it might be something overlooked. Brightness aside, there are other differences I see, such as the wave in the HW.

That's why I ask: anyone have a specimen like the top one?

Thanks,

Chuck

p.s. in my own defense, the bottom specimen looks poorly set, that's just camera angle. Wierd.

[Adam Cotton]

Sorry I cannot comment - apart from unfamiliarity with the species, I cannot access the lensdump photos on my computer. Hopefully some more informative feedback than mine will be forthcoming soon.

Adam.

[58chevy]

I usually ignore undulosa because they are so common. However, the ones in my collection are all lighter than the top specimen in the picture above. If you have the Tuttle book (Hawk Moths of N. America), turn to Plate 9, #10. That's what mine look like.

[LEPMAN]

Jun 2, 2021 4:51:47 GMT -8 exoticimports said:

I've caught thousands of C undulosa, and they all look pretty much the same. This one (top) though has a lot of bright white. It's not just fresh, I've bred them as well, and they all look pretty much like the bottom specimen.

Did you rear on ash or oak? Assuming you had them lay on trimmings?

[exoticimports]

It was so long ago that I don't remember what I fed the larvae. Probably ash. I'm trying to think of anything I've raised on oak, I'm sure I have because I can see in my memories oak in containers, but can't say for certain.

[LEPMAN]

Jun 18, 2021 3:43:00 GMT -8 exoticimports said:

It was so long ago that I don't remember what I fed the larvae. Probably ash. I'm trying to think of anything I've raised on oak, I'm sure I have because I can see in my memories oak in containers, but can't say for certain.

Thanks! Just wondering since I just started rearing some

[leptraps]

The top specimen is a female and the bottom specimen is a male. A rather common Sphinx moth.