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Help please. Gypsonoma sp

Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2021 6:11 pm
by MPStanyer
This Gypsonoma, appeared to lack the black dash on the forewing which made me wonder whether it was something other than G. dealbana. However the image does show a smaller black dot so I suspect it is dealbana rather than sociana. Could anyone advise please?
Thanks.
Gypsonoma sp. Marple 2 July 2021
Gypsonoma sp. Marple 2 July 2021
Gypsonoma sp. Marple 2 July 2021
Gypsonoma sp. Marple 2 July 2021

Re: Help please. Gypsonoma sp

Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2021 10:42 am
by GasMacc1
Well, I've just reviewed Sterling and Parsons, Bird-dropping Tortrix Moths of the British Isles, Manley and lepiforum.de and still can't summon up much confidence to identify this moth!

Sterling and Parsons suggest similar species of Gypsonoma dealbana are G. sociana, G. aceriana and Spilonota ocellana.

The pictures in the Bird-dropping book show that the last two of those are much "plainer". So it's between G. dealbana and G. sociana, and we need to look "with care" at the "frons" to distinguish these two. There is an attempt on lepiforum.de to compare head-on photos of the two species, but they are from different angles. To my eyes, both species have more or less off-white faces!

I think we need some clearer guidance!

Re: Help please. Gypsonoma sp

Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2021 10:18 am
by MPStanyer
Thanks for looking into this. I normally get Gypsonoma dealbana with an obvious black streak so have never really looked at the frons until now. The one I caught last night seemed to have a more buffy frons. I have no experience of G sociana so I think it will have to stay as Gypsonoma sp. Thanks again. Martyn