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Photo#747300
Sexually dimorphic micromoth - Dryadaula terpsichorella - male - female

Sexually dimorphic micromoth - Dryadaula terpsichorella - Male Female
Tallahassee, Leon County, Florida, USA
February 23, 2013
Size: 10-12 mm total
At outdoor light. I post this "couple" because I was fascinated by the obvious dimorphism, but perhaps this is nothing unusual for micromoths.

Moved

Caribbean Scavenger Moth - Hodges #0304
Moved from Moths.


 
Why not?
Your place appears to be home to so many of these "guys and dolls" that you could find out whether the variability is random or suggests dimorphism. Anyway, thanks for the ID!

 
Sexually Dimorphic
I'm now convinced they dimorphic, as this is the only couple I've seen, other than mine. Yours are clearly identical to mine. Question is, is the larger, plain one the female. Time for some homework :)
Thanks for posting
Z

 
Yes -
I also noticed the similarity, but isn't it typically the male that's on top?

Hard to tell, but ...
Look like sorta like ...

 
I like it now.
Thank you for your suggestion. I apologize for not responding earlier - things have not been normal routine lately. Anyway, I missed on your moth thumb the distinct dark "triangular scarf" of mine, but I now browsed the relevant website and noticed that it has images covering everything from the pale male(?) of my pair and its very distinctly patterned partner. Is this natural variability or dimorphism?
Peter

 
Variable
While I never read anything about them being dimorphic, I suspect they may well be. I do know they are highly variable. I posted some of my early specimens as unknown, until Bob Patterson ID's as the same. They are not likely to be confused with anything else.
Z

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