Gelechia panella maybe but contradictory information - Aroga paulella

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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Twirler Moths and kin (Gelechioidea) » Twirler Moths (Gelechiidae) » Gelechiinae » Gelechiini » Aroga » Aroga paulella - Hodges#2194 (Aroga paulella)

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Copyright © 2015 Will Bernstein

Gelechia panella maybe but contradictory information - Aroga paulella

Denver Lighthouse at the Breakers Neighborhood next to Fairmount Cemetery , Denver County, Colorado, USA
April 14, 2015
Size: right fore wing 9.22 mm

It looks like some of the images to me of Gelechia panella on MPG about 50% of them and all of the on bugguide however that said the description on bugguide is of a brick or rust pattern on white with a dark grey hindwing. The forewing in my specimen is black on white with a light grey hw which looks identical to the specimens here and on mpg. In Moths of Western North America Powell and Opler plate 8.22 the specimen shown matches some on MPG and non here with a solid rust colored forewing and a dark grey hindwing. And in the description "is unusual for a gelechiid and most microlepidoptera in having slender, uniform brick or rust red FW" which doesn't correlate to the description or pictures here. I am not very familiar with micros at all as I usually do macros. Is there some sort of form variation that isn't mentioned in the book or some literature I am missing? All and any help would be appreciated.
right FW 9.22 mm
tt 18.55 mm

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Gelechia panella maybe but contradictory information - Aroga paulella

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Contributed by Will Bernstein on 22 April, 2015 - 6:05pm
Last updated 23 April, 2015 - 2:29pm

Aroga paulella

I looked up the original descriptions of all of the following species. Based on the information therein, Gelechia panella is the moth shown here, and thus is not a match for your moth. Your moth is a perfect match for Aroga paulella. In describing that species, Busck mentioned that it is most similar to Gelechia (now Aroga) unifasciella, which differs from A. paulella in lacking the basal white fascia on the forewing, and Gelechia packardella. The latter is a species that is known only from Chambers' description (type specimen lost, even at the time of Busck's 1903 paper); it has a black and white forewing as in the two Aroga spp. just mentioned, but the pattern of markings, as detailed in Chambers' description, does not match either of theirs. One more species to be mentioned here is an undescribed Aroga sp. that is similar to A. paulella but differs in that the hind margin of the forewing from base of wing to basal white fascia is black, rather than white as in A. paulella.

… Terry Harrison, 23 April, 2015 - 12:28am

description

There is still a discrepancy in the description on Gelechia panella it says "Adult - brick or rust pattern on white. Hindwing dark gray" and cites the source of Moths of Western North America by Powell Opler however when you actually go the source the description says " having slender, uniform brick or rust red FW" not mentioning a pattern or on white at all. It seems like the original contributor was looking at images and the source and combined the two to make them fit. I would suggest changing the description to "Uniform brick or rust red forewing with grey hindwing" and citing the same source.

… Will Bernstein, 24 April, 2015 - 12:50pm

done

… john and jane balaban, 24 April, 2015 - 1:58pm

WELL done

Will, thanks for spotting, and sounding the alarm on, that lingering loose end; and John and Jane, thanks for driving the stake through its heart. Here's hoping that our combined efforts have ensured that this problem never again will terrorize the townsfolk of BugGuide.

… Terry Harrison, 24 April, 2015 - 3:57pm

MPG

I am going to get this changed on MPG. Should be changed later today.

… Christi Jaeger, 23 April, 2015 - 12:50pm

Thanks!

It's good to learn that MPG and BG will be brought onto the same page as regards G. panella and A. paulella. Thanks for overseeing the update.

… Terry Harrison, 24 April, 2015 - 10:10am

cheers

Makes sense to me and I appreciate the effort you went to. Thank you for clarifying everything.

… Will Bernstein, 23 April, 2015 - 1:12am

Moved

Moved from ID Request.

… Terry Harrison, 23 April, 2015 - 12:27am

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