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Species Macaria amboflava - Hodges#6284

Geometridae: Speranza amboflava or S. sulphurea? - Macaria amboflava Geometridae: Speranza amboflava - Macaria amboflava Geometridae: Speranza amboflava - Macaria amboflava Geometridae: Speranza amboflava - Macaria amboflava - male Moth - Lateral view - Macaria amboflava - male Hodges#6284 - Macaria amboflava Macaria amboflava - male Macaria amboflava  - Macaria amboflava
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Geometroidea (Geometrid and Swallowtail Moths)
Family Geometridae (Geometrid Moths)
Subfamily Ennominae
Tribe Macariini
Genus Macaria
Species amboflava (Macaria amboflava - Hodges#6284)
Hodges Number
6284
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Macaria amboflava(Ferguson, 1953)(1)
Speranza amboflava (Ferguson, 1953)
Numbers
There are 50 species of the genus listed for America north of Mexico. (2)
Remarks
Regarding sulphurea and amboflava, Ferguson states:

"Speranza sulphurea is a sexually dimorphic, eastern, bog-dwelling species, of which the male is nearly the color of Speranza argillacearia ["more nearly immaculate mouse gray"]. (MONA Fascicle 17.2, pg.82)

"Speranza amboflava is the obvious sister species of sulphurea, replacing the latter species in the West. It lacks the conspicuous sexual dimorphism of the eastern species; both sexes are bright yellow and closely resemble females of sulphurea, although usually larger." (MONA Fascicle 17.2, pg.84)

However, more current data than Ferguson (2008) does have sulphurea collected in the pacific northwest and there is a growing number of sequenced male individuals from that population that are quite yellow, and quite well marked. As more individuals of the two species are sequenced, we're finding that the external characteristics are less reliable than previously thought--or so it seems based on the genetic evidence. So distinguishing yellow individuals by photo in overlapping distribution locales may prove difficult or impossible at this time.
Print References
Ferguson, D. C., 2008. Moths of America North of Mexico, Fascicle 17.2: p. 84; pl. 2.6-9.(2)
Sihvonen, P. & P. Skou, 2015. Ennominae I. In: A. Hausmann (ed.): The Geometrid Moths of Europe, 5: 1-657.(1)