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Photo#424754
Hawthorn Underwing - Hodges#8858 - Catocala mira

Hawthorn Underwing - Hodges#8858 - Catocala mira
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
July 11, 2010

Moved
Moved from Hawthorn Underwing.

Moved to mira for now, based on discussion below.

mira/cratagei/blandula
Based on the current descriptions used to separate blandula/mira/crataegi, this would more likely be mira. The reasoning is that the basal area is much paler and concolorous with the FW than in either blandula or crataegi, and it has the conspicuously pale - almost white - median area between the subreniform spot and costa, that is a more common characteristic of mira.

Now, having said that ...

A caveat on blandula/mira/crataegi identification:
Over the years, as more specimens of this group have been DNA verified, it seems differences in appearance are far less reliable (maybe even completely unreliable), particularly for darker specimens. For example, all three species can look identical with dark basal areas, varying degrees of brown/black shading or greenish tint, and all can have the pale median area between the subreniform spot and the costa, and all can have broken or unbroken HW bands. However, mira does seem to be the one of the three to most commonly have a distinctly pale basal area, even though some all-over pale crataegi will as well. In the end, I personally think an honest assessment is that the three are completely inseparable by appearance and I'm close to proposing a species complex page to place all three species unless range can sort out the more westerly blandula.

Sorry to be so long-winded, but I thought the info might be of worth. So on your photo, if going by the older description differences, I'd place it in mira, but based on newer data, it could honestly go either way.

 
mira/cratagei/blandula
Thanks for your detailed explanation, Jason. I have always found these species difficult. I think a species complex page for photos makes a lot of sense.

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