Paectes pygmaea

I saw that you can tell these apart from photos.

I didn't know how, and I have this other one with no ID. Any ideas?

… John R. Maxwell, 27 August, 2016 - 6:25pm

No, not really beyond local p

No, not really beyond local populations. You need to know the host plant and/or rear them to adults for a definitive ID.

… George Smiley, 1 September, 2016 - 2:08pm

Thanks

How did you tell your two apart? The wide line vs. narrow line down the side? I'm just curious because Sweetgum is the host for both species, so the other one seems like it could be either species, and Winged Sumac isn't a host for either(?) so this one could be either? That made me think there was some way to tell from the images.

… John R. Maxwell, 1 September, 2016 - 3:59pm

Doubtful

AFAIK Paectes pygmaea sticks to Sumac.

… George Smiley, 2 September, 2016 - 12:39pm

I see BugGuide lists Paectes pygmaea as Sweetgum and Paectes abrostolella as Sumac. Maybe the guide pages are wrong.

… John R. Maxwell, 2 September, 2016 - 1:44pm

Both on Sumac

I guess someone changed the Info pages as what you say is no longer shown at BG. Anyway, both P. pygmaea and abrostolella apparently feed on sumac and it's abrostoloides on sweet gum.

Paectes pygmaea: host = sumac - Wagner (2011)(1).
Paectes abrostolella: host = sumac - Powell & Opler (2009)(2).
Paectes abrostoloides: host = sweet gum - Wagner (2011)(1).

George - was this collected? What was the forewing length and do you have an image of the hind wing? I'd like to add this to MPG.

… Steve Nanz, 17 March, 2022 - 2:11pm

Answers

a) No, not collected.
b) Not recorded. Not of this particular specimen.

My understanding is that larva length is sufficiently diagnostic. Paectes pygmaea is under 25mm, Paectes abrostoloides and Paectes abrostolella are over 25mm in length.

… George Smiley, 22 March, 2022 - 7:36am