Swamp moth - Elachista - BugGuide.Net

Moved

… Charley Eiseman, 14 July, 2014 - 10:09pm

Elachista

With the smooth head vestiture, I don't think it can be Phylloporia. I would guess something in Elachista.

… Terry Harrison, 14 July, 2014 - 9:37pm

I'll buy that

That had crossed my mind too; I just hadn't seen any examples with a blue spot like this. There were certainly plenty of graminoids around.

… Charley Eiseman, 14 July, 2014 - 10:08pm

I'd go with Phylloporia,

though I'm no expert. However, the wing pattern seems spot on for Phylloporia and incorrect for Antispila, in that both inner and outer edges of the wings have three pale bands, rather than just two on the latter genus. Additionally, the subterminal pale spot on the FW is right for the former and, apparently, wrong for the latter. Obviously, using the MPG maps for my guide, both seem poorly known, especially the latter (with no mapped records). Your picture spurred me to fast-track my processing of a picture of a similar beast early this morning in MI (http://bugguide.net/node/view/955846/bgimage.

… Tony Leukering, 12 July, 2014 - 3:11pm login or register to post comments

Thanks for your thoughts

Just a note, some Antispila species do have a pale bluish subterminal spot like this:

A lot of the Antispilas have pale wing bases, but I think you're right that in their case this doesn't form a distinct band.

Phylloporia is a birch leafminer, and these wetlands did all have a lot of yellow birch. I'll have to start looking for the mines.
(Apparently there's no way to close your open-ended italics!)

… Charley Eiseman, 12 July, 2014 - 3:22pm login or register to post comments

And,

apparently, I cannot edit it to insert the missing HTML tag. Ah, well.

… Tony Leukering, 12 July, 2014 - 3:45pm login or register to post comments