Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar

TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Photo#1117243
Elasmia Species ? - Elasmia packardii - female

Elasmia Species ? - Elasmia packardii - Female
Camp Wood, Edwards County, Texas, USA
August 7, 2015
Size: apx. 20 mm long
I think this specimen has all the earmarks of the Genus Elasmia, but I have never seen one with this much pattern and color before. The others have been very gray. The only other species possibility on MPG was Hodges #7950.1 – Elasmia mandela but I can't read the spread specimen well. There was another species that I thought might be possible Hodges #7948 – Elymiotis notodontoides which shows some color. Any thoughts?

Images of this individual: tag all
Elasmia Species ? - Elasmia packardii - female Elasmia Species ? - Elasmia packardii - female

ID Confirmed
It looks like you added this to BOLD, sample ID BIOUG26825-H11, as E. packardii but the the barcode supports the identification. I think the color variation is genetic. Don Lafontaine pointed out to me that the DNA barcode is slightly different from those from OK and NM. There's a slim outside chance that it's an undescribed species.

 
.
Very interesting, Steve. Someday I am going to ask Ed Knudson for a course in reading these. I have been rearing them and cannot see differences in the caterpillars even when they are raised on different plants.

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

I am not an expert, but
Elasmia packardii has been reported in Dallas and San Antonio on this guide, MPG also reports the moth for Texas. The coloring of the head and shoulder area is alike to the moth you have photographed. The slight variations in wing color may be attributed to larval food source, but the appearance of the markings are alike to other photographs of that moth posted on this site and MPG, IMO. Take a look at this one:

 
.
Thank you Marcia. I had not heard of larval food influencing wing color. Delmar Cain also told me he thought it was E. packardii in a private conversation but did not make the comment here.

 
insect coloration
I have read various references via internet searches that discuss the relationship of the minerals found in soils to the coloration of the local fauna - the proximity to sea influences, seasonal temperatures, as well as isolation from intercommunication with other members of their kind are also known to affect insect coloration.

For example, many of the moths that are attracted to my vapor light have fed upon soils permeated with limestone and they seem to be more vividly blue than other representatives reported in this guide from other localities.

I find it to be interesting.

 
.
Well I guess so! Thank you very much for sharing. I have been attributing coloration to the settings of the different cameras to a certain extent and never knew of this possibility. We have limestone soils, so the same would be true of this locale.

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.