Anacaena lutescens

interesting

How to tell apart from A. limbata, I wonder? Smetana 1988 notes the two species are confused here, saying "further details will be available after the genus is revised for North America." In the latest Canadian catalogue, both species are listed with this one being transcontinental and A. limbata apparently disjunct.

… Brad Barnd, 12 May, 2014 - 2:39am

found a key...

...here, couplet 2a
according to the key, in limbata the head is somewhat paler in front of eye & the discal infucation on the pronotum is subdivided into 3 spots, vs all-black head & entire dark pronotal spot in lutescens (which is the case of most BG pics, too!), plus the ventral vestiture of the metafemur differs, too.
both are illustrated here

… v belov, 13 May, 2014 - 10:25am

thanks v

thats very useful; also looks like they differ a bit in shape too

hopefully we'll see a publication on our fauna in the not so distant future

… Brad Barnd, 13 May, 2014 - 4:21pm