Drasteria tejonica - BugGuide.Net

Moved

… Anthony Magee, 12 August, 2007 - 2:08am

Info from Chuck Harp

Quote:

Thanks for sending the image. My first thought was Drasteria howlandi. It is marked like 80% of mine. It is a bit 'peachy' and has whitish at base of dorsal hind wing, pushing me towards tejonica (that does occur in Pueblo and Huerfano Cos.). I'll check a bit more.
Chuck Harp

… Anthony Magee, 8 August, 2007 - 4:57pm

One of the Species of Drasteria [Catocalinae]...

... and possibly 8631 - Drasteria petricola

… Bob Patterson, 3 August, 2007 - 12:39am

Thanks Bob

After studying Moth Photographers Group I feel more strongly about D. howlandi. What are your thoughts?

… Anthony Magee, 3 August, 2007 - 12:59am

Drasteria cf. howlandi ?

I think D. howlandi looks pretty good in this case. However, there is a lot of variation in Drasteria. The only Drasteria on the Colorado University Museum list is the species D. mirifica which is another very good match. You can see how much mirifica can vary on this All-Leps page. Even though howlandi wasn't on the CU list, it has been taken in neighboring Wyoming, and may very well be in Colorado. Long story short ... given the difficulties in this genus, it would probably be best to leave this at genus level unless someone like Jan Metlevski or Gary Anweiler can drop in and confirm a howlandi (or other) species ID.

Nice photo by the way.

… J.D. Roberts, 3 August, 2007 - 8:46am

Another

Here is another one of these that I took that is still pending ID. Maybe if this one gets IDed, mine could be also.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/115940

… Sam Houston, 3 August, 2007 - 11:19am

Different

Yours is a cato*cala species.

… J.D. Roberts, 3 August, 2007 - 11:24am

Thoughts.....Must I Have them? :-)

Your eye may be much better than mine, and I didn't really study the Drasteria. I'm a photo matcher, not a moth expert, and that's a difficult group. Since you live in Colorado you ought to make contact with Paul Opler and Chuck Harp (email addresses at MPG Contacts Page). They can help with fine points about Colorado moths and will likely welcome your county records.

… Bob Patterson, 3 August, 2007 - 1:32am

Kudos

J.D. and Bob, I have sent an email off with this information. Hopefully this can be IDed to species. Thanks

… Anthony Magee, 3 August, 2007 - 10:14am