Observation date: May 28, 2022
Submitted by: robpendergast
Specimen type: Photograph
Observation notes: None.
Status: Resident
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: May 28, 2022
Coordinator notes: https://bugguide.net/node/view/2120314 These two moths, L. leucillana and L. schlaegeri, have been hard to tell apart. Finally came across one comment on the link from BG which seems to give some help in identification. "Duckworth 1964 mentions that for both species the thorax is white dorsally with brownish black tuft posteriorly but in A. leucillana the apical half of that tuft is brown. BOLD images do not seem to bear out this observation. I did notice, however, that most BOLD images of leucillana show an outwardly angled gray mark on the costal margin at slightly under 1/5 from base (see above) followed by an unconnected mark set in from the costal margin at slightly over 1/4 from base. In schlaegeri this coastal mark is never well defined or is absent. When present, it doesn't quite touch the costal margin and is closer to and often often joined to the following mark. If this is a valid identifying mark, then leucillana may be larger than described as there appear to be larger examples like this in the Guide currently under schlaegeri."
