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Index of Subjects --Apple-Mail-50-725874668 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Hi Fritz, On 8-Aug-06, at 6:42 PM, Fritz McEvoy wrote: > Hi Chris & All, > When I first examined this moth I compared it to the Ctenucha as > well as Graspella Skeletonizer. What species is this? In Nova Scotia, we only have three species in this subfamily, Ctenucha, Ciisseps, and Lycomorpha pholusDrury which looks quite different. > The moths here have a more pointed forewing and both wings appear > somewhat translucent. I can't see a difference between the fore and > hind wing colors.The collar in Cisseps has three parts in a > triangle and the Ctenucha only one between the eyes. There is no > bright blue on the thorax behind the collar although the thorax has > a bluish tinge. The thorax of the Ctenucha is thicker than the > Cisseps and this is closer to the moths seen here. I'm not an expert of this group but as far as I'm aware the diagnostic difference between Cisseps fulvicollis and Ctenucha virginica is that the former species has an large and prominent translucent patch on the hindwing (this is very obvious). I don't think that there are diagnostic differences in the orange collar, or the bluish tinge or thickness of the pronotum. It sounds to me like your specimens are Ctenucha virginica. > The Skeletonizer was dismissed because it perches with wings > outstretched and this moth has closed wings when landed. Whatever this is, I don;t think its found in Nova Scotia. > If you have questions or other things I can look for let me > know. I'll send up some specimens with my next beetle shipment. All > the best. Great: thanks! Chris > Fritz > ----Original Message Follows---- > From: Christopher Majka <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca> > Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Yellow-collared Scape Moth invasion > Date: Tue, 8 Aug 2006 17:14:04 -0300 > > Hi Fritz, > > On 8-Aug-06, at 3:27 PM, Fritz McEvoy wrote: > >> Hi all, >> Over the last week the valley has been deluged with Yellow- >> collared Scape Moth-Hodges 8267(Cisseps Fulvicollis). They cover >> every flower especially Ragweed and Goldenrod,often dozens on a >> single flower head. Although most are black and orange I have >> observed some that have yellow collars and a few that look >> beige.They seem to be an interesting species,a wasp mimic and >> nectar feeder, the proboscis is almost 1/2 the moths length. Is >> this a local phenomenon or are they widespread in the province? >> All the best. > > Are you certain that you are seeing Cisseps fulvicollis (Hubner) > (Yellow-collared Scape Moth) rather than Ctenucha virginica Esper > (Virginia Ctenucha)? Both species are present in Nova Scotia, > however, the Virginia Ctenucha is normally the common species. > Ferguson (1955) doesn't mention C. fulvicollis as occurring on > Cape Breton, whereas C. virginica is definitely common there. The > hindwing of the former species is translucent as in: > > http://www.boldsystems.org/pics/LGSMB/DNA-ATBI-1157.jpg > > Whereas the hindwing of the latter species is not as in: > > http://www.cedarcreek.umn.edu/insects/newslides/027073074001bp.jpg > > In any event, the Virginia Ctenucha can, indeed, be exceedingly > common. Ferguson (1955) mentions that they can come in enormous > numbers to light. The larvae feed on grasses, irises, & sedges. > > Cheers! > > Chris > > >> Fritz McEvoy >> Sunrise Valley CB (near Dingwall) >> > > _._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._. > _. _. > Christopher Majka - Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History > 1747 Summer Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 3A6 > (902) 424-6435 Email <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca> > _._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._. > _. _. > _._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._. _. Christopher Majka - Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 1747 Summer Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 3A6 (902) 424-6435 Email <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca> _._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._. _. --Apple-Mail-50-725874668 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 <HTML><BODY style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; = -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi Fritz,<DIV><BR><DIV><DIV>On = 8-Aug-06, at 6:42 PM, Fritz McEvoy wrote:</DIV><BR = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite"><DIV = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; ">Hi Chris & All,</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: = 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><SPAN = class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0=A0 </SPAN>When I first examined this = moth I compared it to the Ctenucha as well as Graspella Skeletonizer. = <BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR = class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>What species is this? In = Nova Scotia, we only have three species in this subfamily, Ctenucha, = Ciisseps, and Lycomorpha pholusDrury which looks quite = different.</DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite"><DIV style=3D"margin-top: = 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">The = moths here have a more pointed forewing and both wings appear somewhat = translucent. I can't see a difference between the fore and hind wing = colors.The collar in Cisseps has three parts in a triangle and the = Ctenucha only one between the eyes. There is no bright blue on the = thorax behind the collar although the thorax has a bluish tinge. The = thorax of the Ctenucha is thicker than the Cisseps and this is closer to = the moths seen here.</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR = class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><SPAN = class=3D"Apple-style-span">I'm not an expert of this group but as far as = I'm aware the diagnostic difference between=A0<I>Cisseps fulvicollis</I> = and=A0<I>Ctenucha virginica</I> is that the former species has an large = and prominent translucent patch on the hindwing (this is very obvious). = I don't think that there are diagnostic differences in the orange = collar, or the bluish tinge or thickness of the pronotum. It sounds to = me like your specimens are=A0<I>Ctenucha = virginica</I>.</SPAN></DIV><BR&g