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Thread: Moth ID trend

  1. #1
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    Default Moth ID trend

    Hi doctor Seow,

    I was scrolling through the moth trend and realise there are some valuable information here, which i've decided to also try out at some moth's ID since we have such amazing diversity in Singapore! If you up to the challenge i am willing to photograph some moths as usual. It is alright if you cant give definite answer, but i wish to challenge my current(and limited) moth knowledge

    Starting with a simple one, i will be asking for burnet moth family moth here

    1 - Boradiopsis harmani. I initially ID this as Boradiopsis harmani, since the official Singapore biodiversity website https://singapore.biodiversity.onlin...doptera-000674 publish this as the only species. After consulting some people from the area, i was inform the moth info is however extremely understudied, and there are suggestions it is possible other species about. Here i present two individual, found in the shaded forest of mandai, nearby one another
    Here is my inat links - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/135102065 and https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/135102066
    boradiopsis1.1.jpgboradiopsis1.2.jpg

    2 - Burnet moth family. I could only reach this conclusion after suggestions from Inat and my own guesses. I realise the burnet moth family have a somewhat shape,if u will, to it, like species from pompelon marginata, artona species and cyclosia species, like a triangle from a kids puzzle
    inat link - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/125159945
    burnet1.1.jpgburnet1.2.jpg

    3 - thyrassia species. To the untrain eye i notice they would mistake this as a hubner wasp moth, amata hubneri. I do notice the wing have a extra white spot, the antenna isnt white tip, and there is a slight violet sheen, if you will. This species caterpillar feeds on leea indica, as many caterpillar hobbyist has raise it only in auccess on leea indica
    inat links - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/119074621 , https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/118635973 and https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/108588455

    Skipping regards!
    Zicky
    Zick Soh

  2. #2
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    Moths are just way too difficult.
    I dont have the proper references to ID many of them.
    There are several thousand species in Singapore alone.

    However these Zygaenid moths are fascinating & I think I have their IDs.

    1. Boradiopsis harmani.
    There appear to be two species in our region.
    The 2nd B. bipartita is not recorded from Singapore.


    They are both very similar.

    B. harmani Open plain area larger; FW marginal spots extend from apex down to the tornus (lower angle of the FW.)
    B. bipartita; Open area smaller; FW marginal spots end about 1/3 from bottom.
    BORAD.png
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/budak/51671970426/


    2. Very likely Heteropan scintillans. Range India to Sundaland.
    Pale grey with a dark margin & a powderly bluish iridescence.
    In the image below the FWs are folded well in exposing the margins of the HWs.
    Sri Lanka.
    https://israel.inaturalist.org/obser...ity_assessment


    3. Very likely Phacusa tenebrosa. Range India to S.E. Asia. Correction: Phacusa crawfurdi.
    The spots match very well, including the broad brown lower marginal area.
    The body is marked with thin gold lines.
    http://v3.boldsystems.org/index.php/...e?taxid=676913
    http://v3.boldsystems.org/pics/DEPAL...1612548758.jpg
    http://v3.boldsystems.org/pics/ZYGMO...1418745516.jpg

    Other similar species in our region. P. crawfurdi.
    http://v3.boldsystems.org/pics/DEPAL...1612548752.jpg
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phacus..._crawfurdi.jpg


    Thyrassia species.
    FW markings differ; Abdomen more gold banded.
    Taxa penangae & refflesi are considered separate species.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thyrassia_penangae


    TL Seow: Cheers.
    Last edited by Psyche; 17-Sep-2022 at 07:20 AM.

  3. #3
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    Correction

    3 is Phacusa crawfurdi. Range Sundaland ie. Sumatra, Malaya, Borneo & Java. Hostplant .Leea.

    P. tenebrosa (continental Asia) & P. crawfurdi (Sundaland)were at first included as one species.
    They are separated on genitalia ground.

    P. crawfurdi from Moths of Borneo.
    The FW pattern is identical.
    PHA5.PNG


    The previous images of P. crawfurdi may be inaccurate.

    Laos. P. crawfurdi is likely not recorded in Laos.
    http://v3.boldsystems.org/pics/DEPAL...1612548752.jpg

    Drawn image, unknown location. Red spots may be orange.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phacus..._crawfurdi.jpg


    TL Seow: Cheers.
    Last edited by Psyche; 17-Sep-2022 at 06:02 PM.

  4. #4
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    Thank you so much Doctor Seow!

    I will still keep trying to shoot moth and ID them on my own, while i do not have any moth reference book, i will try my best to ID! Appreciate for the generous knowledge sharing! There are indeed too many moths, and too little people shooting it in Singapore however. Got to take every opportunity to learn!

    Regards
    Zicky
    Zick Soh

  5. #5
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    Hi doctor Seow,

    Ive shot a few other moths since they kind of flutter around as butterflies as well, and i challenge myself making some IDs here. I would like to seek ur advice, but shall u think its insufficient, i am more than happy to have it left as a genus ID, since i dont think i will be dissecting moths anytime soon. My reference are generally singapore publish articles and inat links, since i lack any moth reference book, which i will be buying soon(if you can recommend any titles i would appreciate it!). I refer to inat as well, even though the species suggestion isnt the best its at least a effort i can carry out

    1 - Prosopandrophila distincta. My ID reach this conclusion base on a few past documents, such as https://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/app/upload...nis385-392.pdf and general ID on inaturalist. The caterpillar in the general ID observation feeds on the same plant as the pdf attach, which i induce which is why it is the species i suggested. Since i lack any of the moths reference books, this is my best attempt as such, from comparing pictures of physical specimens. This specimen is about the size of a general bushbrown, shot at seletar area
    Inat link of my shot - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/135639118
    Attachment 28018Attachment 28019

    2 - Cyclosia macularia. This specimen was likely ran over by a bicycle at sembawang PCN, and was dead. I suspect the yellow stuff poking out are her eggs(how sad! she didnt manage to complete her lifecycle purpose). The glossy reflection of the wing scale is a nice colouration however, even in death. I refer to https://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/wp-content...nis151-158.pdf as my reference and general inat link
    inat link - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/135350912
    Attachment 28020Attachment 28021

    3 - pseudosesia species. I couldnt find any information about pseudosesia species in Singapore, and i use to think they are part of the burnet moth family until i found out they are from Sesiidae family. Ive concluded these two fine specimen are males due to the coremata in one of the observation. I have shot a pseudosesia in the past before i am extremely interested in bugs, so i added a old photo of a potential female ive shot, which was also in the same area. A interesting note is that they seem to always appear at leea indica patches for the nectars and appears to also just rest around the area in general. However, i cant find any online articles about their lifecycle, and the australia article https://www.researchgate.net/publica...acific_Islands here, i am afraid it might be irrelevant
    inat links - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/135639135 and https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/135639109
    inat link for the possible female of the same species - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/118123724
    pseudosesia1.jpgpseudosesia2.jpg

    Skipping regards!
    Zicky
    Zick Soh

  6. #6
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    Post 5.

    1 & 2 are right.
    If you dont have any references, here are a few.

    Moths of Borneo covers about 75% of the macromoths in Singapore.
    Zygaenidae is in vol. 2.
    https://www.mothsofborneo.com/
    Addendum; It seem vol. 2 is not accessible on line. You have to purchase the hard copy.


    Moths of Thailand Noctuidae vol. 3 ocvers 50% of the Noctuidae in Singapore.
    https://www.researchgate.net/publica...ra_in_Thailand


    Of the smaller moths, Pyralids of Borneo covers many of the Crambidae & the Thyrididae.
    http://www.pyralidsofborneo.org/index.php?overview


    I think the Sesiid is incorrect.
    Try the BOLD (Barcode of Life Database)inventory.
    https://v3.boldsystems.org/index.php...page?taxid=503

    Without some clue you have to go through both subfamilies to tribe to genus & species.
    eg tribe Paranthrenini.
    https://v3.boldsystems.org/index.php...?taxid=1066647

    It is too tedious.
    Good luck.


    TL Seow: Cheers.
    Last edited by Psyche; 21-Sep-2022 at 06:39 PM.

  7. #7
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    Thank you Doctor Seow!!!

    Zicky
    Zick Soh

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  9. #9
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    This one have been identified by a moth specialist as Pseudosesia rufifinis.(rufifinis= red end.)
    It is the same species ,but without the yellow patches on the thorax.
    https://guatemala.inaturalist.org/observations/78287533


    TL Seow: Cheers.
    PS. The same specialist has named your current observation as just Pseudosesia ssp.
    So it is best to leave it as such.
    https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/118123724
    PS2.
    Walker's original description as Sannina rufifinis based on a male from Sarawak.
    https://archive.org/details/journalo...p?view=theater
    Kallies' uploaded images fig 161-162.(images labelled wrongly?). Possibly 160 is P. rufifinis, & 161,162 are T. andrepiclera.
    https://www.researchgate.net/figure/...fig9_343697577
    PS3.
    Based on this related species, the one with the yellow patches on the thorax is the female.
    http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.co...oberthuri.html
    https://moths.csiro.au/pseudosesia-o...e-cerf-1916-2/
    Last edited by Psyche; 23-Sep-2022 at 07:39 AM.

  10. #10
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    Ah, i missed out the last post. Thank you so much doctor Seow for tbe elaborate explanations!

    Skipping regards
    Zicky
    Zick Soh

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