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Photo#1239595
Gem-Winged Moth - Lithariapteryx jubarella

Gem-Winged Moth - Lithariapteryx jubarella
Short Canyon, Kern County, California, USA
April 2, 2016
More detail is visible in the full-size image here.

Perched on flower of Ericameria linearifolia.

Consulting Powell(1), this is Lithariapteryx jubarella, based on the position of the gem-like "bumps" on the wing.

In particular, there are two bumps on the dorsal (= "trailing", or "upper" in this view) edge midway out along wing here (vs. one in abroniaeella and mirabilinella), and each of those bumps is each nearly vertically above a matching (slightly anterior) bump on the ventral (i.e. costal) edge.

A similar statement could be made for the "bumps" of T. elegans...but T. elegans has much larger bumps, as well as other bumps that give a very different overall configuation. Also elegans lacks the "orange V" on the wing apex, and is strictly a species of coastal dunes.

Having stated all the above, in turns out that this individual has an easier-to-see character that distinguishes it as L. jubarella, rather than any of the other 3 species in the genus. That character is the straight transverse orange band anterior to the orange "V"-shaped marking in the distal third of the wing. The "orange V" is also present in L. abroniaeella, and is supposed to be significantly reduced in L. mirabilinella, but both those species lack the additional anterior transverse orange band seen here. However, be cautioned that apparently L. jubarella doesn't always exhibit this additional anterior transverse orange band: Powell(1) only states that it is "often" present. For instance, only a broken anterior transverse band is present in the post below, where the placement and size of the "bumps" still indicates L. jubarella:

   

Images of this individual: tag all
Gem-Winged Moth - Lithariapteryx jubarella Gem-Winged Moth - Lithariapteryx jubarella