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Photo#315866
Apantesis - Apantesis carlotta
Copyright © 2009 roar

Apantesis - Apantesis carlotta
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA
July 16, 2009
Black lighted. Looks to me like Apantesis carlotta, but as J. D. Roberts states here, "Each species does have certain characteristics which may commonly appear in populations; for instance the spots/no spots on the patagia, the color of costal border, or wing shape. However, these characteristics are simply not consistent and are too variable to be diagnostic. What you're noticing would be more considered typical characteristics. For instance, one species may have a pair of spots on the patagia in 70% (or even 80%) of the sampling, but because there is a margin of variation, the characteristic cannot be considered diagnostic. And when another species in the group shares the same variation, we're left using the only truly diagnostic feature we can count on - genitalic examination."

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Apantesis - Apantesis carlotta Apantesis - Apantesis carlotta Apantesis - Apantesis carlotta Apantesis - Apantesis carlotta
Contributed by roar on 5 August, 2009 - 7:16pm
Last updated 13 February, 2018 - 1:52pm

Moved
Moved from Apantesis.

The combination of faint/absent prothoracic collar spots, yellow/orange hindwing, and black along the costa point to carlotta as the most likely candidate for this bunch, especially given that in my experience in nearby Lebanon County, carlotta is often the most abundant species of Apantesis in the area, especially in open/disturbed habitats. These are a perfect match with the series of 50+ carlotta I have from Fort Indiantown Gap, for example.
… Paul Dennehy, 13 February, 2018 - 1:52pm

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