Illum kienet ġurnata sabiħa fiż-żona tal-bajja, għalhekk tlajt għal Napa u Wied il-Papa. Kont qed infittex xi territorju ġdid għal kamla żgħira tal-fjuri, Speedy Heliolonche, li jidher li qed jistenna li jitfaċċa temp sabiħ aktar kontigwu. Dan l-istaġun kien xi ftit tard minħabba l-kesħa u x-xita kollha, imma jien nittama għal żjara ta’ ritorn b’suċċess fi ftit ġimgħat. Madankollu, Iltqajt ma' numru żgħir ta' mikroleps sbieħ. Dawn il-kamla kollha huma fil-ġeneru ADELE u l-familja Adelidae (jew xi wħud jgħidu Incurvariidae). Huma komunement magħrufa bħala “kamla tal-fairy” għax jidhru jiżfnu fuq irqajja’ ta’ fjuri – li apparentement fairies iħobbu jagħmlu. Deher li l-irġiel kienu qed jiddefendu żona żgħira, bi tnejn sa tlieta kull darba, iduru madwar xulxin ftit pulzieri 'l fuq mill-blanzuni. Nassumu li dawn iż-żfin kienu territorjali għax ma kien osservat l-ebda tgħammir. Filwaqt li n-nisa għandhom antenni twal, l-irġiel jeħduha għall-eċċess. Ġbart sensiela sabiħa imma jien għadhom ma nailed l-ispeċi – kemm tara? B'xorti tajba, kollha tal- Adelidae kienu koperti fi a 1969 karta minn Jerry Powell, li wkoll jinzerta jgħix fit-triq minni.
Wara li tħares il-kollezzjonijiet hawn fil-CAS, u qari tal-monografija, jidher li ħafna minn dawn huma Trigrapha Adela. Huwa Adelid komuni taż-żona tal-Bajja ta 'San Francisco u ħafna mill-meded kostali ta' CA. Il-varjazzjoni hija nnutata li hija konsiderevoli, bi strixxi miksura u mhux miksura kif ukoll varjazzjoni tal-aħmar fuq il-kuruna. L-Adelid l-oħra faċilment tiġi identifikata Adela taqbadni.
Trigrapha Adela Zeller 1875
(aktar stampi wara waqfa)
Trigrapha Adela Zeller 1875
Adela taqbadni Chambers 1876
Trigrapha Adela Zeller 1875
Trigrapha Adela Zeller 1875
Trigrapha Adela Zeller 1875
Must be at least three species – what about the one with the orange head? The markings are like those in photos 1 u 4, but the antennae don’t look as long and I’m wondering if this is sexual dichroism.
I hung out with a moth guy in my early days, who introduced me to “Incurvariidae.” They’re quite small as I recall – must be quite a challenge to mount.
chris
Very unusual moth. To me it looks like a stag horn moth. How big is the wing span?
Yes I’m thinking 3 as well. I thought dimorphism at first too, but reading Powell it sounds like there are 2 species that are both supposed to have orange on the head to varying degrees. Biex ma nsemmux, they shouldn’t overlap in range. It’s the ones without the orange that are more puzzling! I’ll just have to go over to Berkeley and have Jerry put names on them.
I kind of cheat by mounting my micros upside down – and I’m trying to illustrate exactly how I do it so I can add it to the techniques section.
And as far as micros go these guys are big! About 12mm wing tip to wing tip.
I love these little moths!…used to see them often while hiking along the coastal trails at Pt Reyes, on Calochortus tolmei.
Not which species though, perhaps you can put a name to it?
http://bobabela.com/California-Nature/Insects-Spiders/7263324_oXTZd#466874794_R7RiX
Updated, looks like they are all the same. Bob – your moth would also be A. trigrapha.
Ah, so two species rather than three – the post apical band can be complete or broken, but what about the orange head?
grazzi Chris.
It’s still confusing. Males have the orange, which varies considerably. There is still a chance some of these are Adela eldorata, which more commonly has a bright orange crown. I’ll still have Powell sort these specimens out and tell me the verdict.
All the monograph says in regards to the red on A. trigrapha is “… and a few to several orange scales at the back of the crown.” No note on dimorphism.
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