which Fairy moth ? - Adela flammeusella - BugGuide.Net

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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Fairy Moths and kin (Adeloidea) » Fairy Moths (Adelidae) » Adelinae » Adela » Adela flammeusella - Hodges#0224 (Adela flammeusella)

Photo#633549

Copyright © 2012 Beth Sands

which Fairy moth ? - Adela flammeusella

Galt , Rancho seco preserve, Sacramento County, California, USA
April 24, 2012
Size: ~3/8"

I found this little spotted Fairy-moth by a vernal pool upon a yellow wildflower . This is the first time I saw this kind with the polka dots and would like to know more about it . I am more familiar with the little Fairy-moths with stripes that are found on wild Daisy bushes on Mt. Diablo . Thanks for any comments, sincerely Beth

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Contributed by Beth Sands on 25 April, 2012 - 11:37am
Last updated 22 February, 2015 - 11:45am

Moved to A. flammeusella: Trigonometry to the rescue

Moved from Adela.

This is a male from the large eyes (the eye diameter can be seen to be at least 3 times the distance between the eyes).

As such, in the key of Powell(1), it goes to one of the two similar-looking species, flameusella or thorpella...which are separated by the ratio of antenna-to-forewing lengths being either 3+ or 2.5, respectively.

Measured in the plane of the photo, the ratio of antenna-to-forewing lengths here is very close to 2.5. However, the antennae are clearly being held at a significant angle upwards and out of the projected image plane. A little trigonometry yields that the antenna length here will be greater than 3 if the angle at which the antenna are being held up out of the projected image plane is greater than arccos(2.5/3) = 34°.

It looks like that angle is likely at least 34°...so this appears to end up at A. flammeusella. (Yet another instance of the crucial importance of trigonometry in everyday life! :-)

The pattern of white spots on the bronze-colored wings here is also strongly consistent with A. flammeusella...as is the apparent grassland habitat and Sacramento County location.

… Aaron Schusteff, 22 February, 2015 - 11:45am

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Moved

Moved from ID Request.

… john and jane balaban, 25 May, 2012 - 5:11pm

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how about?

this:

… Edna Woodward, 25 April, 2012 - 12:55pm

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