Identification Keys

Yellow-Orange

species.......

similis
alabamae
titania
charlottae

small..........

(35-45)
(30-40)
(25-30)
??

range: eastern.....

Que-Fl-Tx-Ont
Md-Fl-Tx-Il
Pa-Fl-Tx-Il
Louisiana

forewing:............

rs=tear shape
a.a. dash
uniform grey
br shading

hw bands.........

i lp; o tr-dot
i lp; o-tr-dot
i lp; o tr-dot
i lp; o ub

fringe..........

or, bd
or, bd
or, bd
or, bd

Similis has a distinguishing "tear" shaped reniform spot and a light triangular patch near the apex. Alabamae is a more southerly, larger version of titania and has a dark region near the anal angle. Charlottae has more brown in subterminal region and a barely unbroken outer hind wing band.

Yellow-Orange

species.......

blandula
crataegi
mira
clintoni

small..........

(40-50)
(40-50)
(40-50)
??

range: eastern.....

NB-Ga-Io-Alb
Que-Ga-Ar-Man
Que-Fl-Tx-Man
Ont-Fl-Tx-Wi

forewing:............

br basal area
bl basal area
light basal area
basal dash

hw bands.........

i lp; o unbr
i lp; o-tr-bar
i lp; o unbr
i lp; o tr-dot

fringe..........

or, bd
or, bd
or, bd
or, bd

Blandula has fw brown basal area and hw unbroken outer black margin. Crataegi has fw black basal area extending along inner margin to anal angle and hw truncated outer margin followed by a bar. Mira has light fw basal area and continuous hw outer margin. Clintoni has dark fw basal dash and truncated hw outer margin followed by a dot.

Yellow-Orange

species.......

praeclara
grynea
sordida
texarkana

small..........

(40-50)
(40-50)
(37-45)
(40-50)

range: eastern.....

Ont-Fl-Ks-Alb
Que-Fl-Tx-Ont
PEI-Fl-Tx-Sask
Fl-Tx

forewing:............

pale grey-green
or-br along im
dark im
light md area

hw bands.........

i lp; o tr-dot
i lp; o unbr
i lp; o tr-dot
i lp; o unbr

fringe..........

or, bd
or, bd
cr at apex
or, bd

Praeclara has grey-green forewing with faint markings except for low basal dash and another dash slightly higher up near the anal angle. The hw outer margin is truncated and followed by a dot. Grynea has a strong greenish cast to the forewing with an orangy-brown bar along most of the inner margin. The hw outer bar is continuous but indented. The orange fringe is heavily barred.

Sordida tends to be very dark around the forewing inner and outer margins. The hw outer band is truncated and followed by a dot. Note predominantly grey-black fringe except at apex and anal angle. Texarkana has lighter median area, brown subreniform and much brown scaling in subterminal area. The hw outer band is continuous but indented.

Yellow-Orange

species.......

micronympha
dulciola
louiseae
antinympha

small..........

(35-50)
(40-45)
(40-45)
(45-55)

range: eastern.....

NH-Fl-Tx-Ont
NY-Va-Mo-Mi
NC-Fl-Ar
NS-Md-Pa-Ont

forewing:............

dk arc c-rs-apex
double am line
white smile
very dark

hw bands........

i l; o tr-dot
i l; o unbr
i l; o tr-dot
i l; o unbr

fringe..........

or, bd
wh, dd
wh, bd
wh, bd

Micronympha has a dark arc running from the costa through the reniform spot to the outer margin just below the apex. Dulciola has light grey forewings with faint markings except for a double black antemedial line.

There is a distinct white "smile" (in spread specimens) between the reniform and subreniform spots in louiseae. There is also a narrow but distinct white line immediately following the black postmedial line. Antinympha is distinguished by its very dark grey, almost black forewings.

Yellow-Orange

species.......

jair
amica
amica "suffusa"
messalina

small..........

(35-40)
(35-40)
(35-40)
(40-45)

range: eastern.....

NJ-Fl-Tx-NC
Que-Fl-Ar-Ont
Que-Fl-Ar-Ont
Va-Fl-Tx-Ks

forewing:............

smooth pm line
jagged pm line
dark i & o m
unmkd, dark om

hw bands........

no i; o tr-dot
no i; o tr-dot
no i; o tr-dot
no i; o unbr

fringe..........

wh, gr
wh, gr
wh, bd
or, bd

Jair has a very dark and relatively smooth postmedial line. Amica has a thinner, more jagged pm line with "suffusa" showing much darker scaling along the inner and outer margins. Messalina has a relatively uniform grey-green forewing with very faint markings.

Yellow-Orange

species.......

gracilis
whitneyi
amestris
abbreviatella

small..........

(40-45)
(45-50)
(45-50)
(40-50)

range: eastern.....

NS-Fl-Tx-Man
Oh-Tn-Ks-Man
NC-Fl-Tx-Mi
Pa-Fl-Tx-Wi

forewing:............

dark i m
dk wedges
3 dark areas
u gr-gr, fnt lns

hw bands........

i tr; o tr-dot
i tr; unbr
i tr; unbr
i tr; o tr-dot

fringe..........

or, bd
ye, bd
or, td
wh-or, bd

Gracilis resembles sordida but lacks the complete hw inner loop of that species. The forewing is dark along the inner margin. Whitneyi has distinct triangular wedges over the reniform spot and just outside the am line.

Amestris as three dark areas descending half way down the forewing from the costa. Only in form "westcotti" is the outer black band unbroken. In abbreviatella the forewing is uniformly colored with narrow black lines on the anterior half. The outer black band of the hindwing is abbreviated and then continued with a dot.

Yellow-Orange

species.......

minuta
olivia
m. "gisela"
connubialis

small..........

(35-45)
??
(35-50)
(37-47)

range: eastern.....

Ont-Fl-Tx-Mi
Louisiana
NH-Fl-Tx-Ont
Va-Fl-Tx-Ks

forewing:............

wh st line near c.
dark br med area
almost black
unmkd, dark om

hw bands........

i lp; o unbr
i lp; o tr-dot
i lp; o unbr
i cp; o tr-dot

fringe..........

ye, bd
ye, bd
ye, bd
or, gr

In minuta, the forewing is generally grey-brown with a greatly widened (near the costa only), white, subterminal line. The outer black band of the hindwing is unbroken and the inner band forms a complete loop with considerable brown scaling along the inner margin. The dark brown patch covering the lower half of the median area distinguishes olivia.

Micronympha form "gisela" has an almost entirely black forewing. In connubialis forewing marks are distinctive on a white background.

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