Monday Moth

How about another unidentified Gelechiidae from the same location as the previous specimen (nr. Prescott Arizona). I’m taking a stab at this moth being in the genus Chionodes – and it is superficially similar to the species C. continuella. Thankfully there is a monograph of this group (Moths of America North of Mexico, fascicle 7.6) and I will be able to dissect and hopefully arrive at a better identification. The genitalia of moths are wonderfully sclerotized structures that can provide a wealth of characters used for identification. I’ll have to be sure to share images of what the genitalia look like soon!

 

Chionodes sp.?

2 comments to Monday Moth

  • Hope it all goes well, best of luck (not that you need it).

    I can’t help but wonder how many people will search for, um, photos of humans using one of your keywords, and will arrive at this post. That amuses me. =)

    • Thanks! Hope all is well in beautiful CA. It’s awesome to see the effect a few key words can play in generating tons of page views. Although, there really isn’t a better way to say moth penis (talk about gratuitous) haha! I think the #1 googled phrase I’ve used so far is “Richard Branson is stupid”.