07 de abril de 2023

Identifying Zale lunata vs. Zale minerea from photos



Zale lunata (Lunate Zale) and Zale minerea (Colorful Zale) both have variable – and overlapping – coloration and patterning. A key character for separating these two species is the shape of the postmedian (PM) line:



Looking at the overall shape of the PM line segment that’s perpendicular to the leading edge of the wing:




For further context/considerations around identifying these species, see this iNat journal post by paul_dennehy.

Images kindly provided by @becksnyc:
Zale lunata
Zale minerea

References

Zale lunata - Moths of North Carolina
Zale lunata - Pacific Northwest Moths
Zale minerea - Moths of North Carolina
Zale minerea - Pacific Northwest Moths


@mark935 @allen_barlow @stomlins701

Publicado el 07 de abril de 2023 a las 09:26 AM por d_kluza d_kluza | 6 comentarios | Deja un comentario

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