Nemophora (genus)

1 A Fairy Moth at Jerrabomberra, NSW

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Identification history

Nemophora laurella	5 Jan 2022	donhe
Nemophora (genus)	5 Jan 2022	ibaird
Nemophora (genus)	5 Jan 2022	SteveBorkowskis
Unidentified	5 Jan 2022	SteveBorkowskis

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5 comments

ibaird wrote:

5 Jan 2022

I am not knowledeable enough to say whether this is N. sparsella. This specimen seems to have a black head. whereas many of this species,although not all, I can see online have a white/yellow head. Again I don't know whether head colour is diagnostic,

SteveBorkowskis wrote:

5 Jan 2022

I took photos of a second individual that has a yellow head, I will submit it as a separate sighting

donhe wrote:

5 Jan 2022

Yes, the head colour of N. sparsella does appear to be yellow. Rosenstock, in describing the synonym Adela chrysolamprella, mentions ochreous hairs on the head. The only other Nemophora occuring in this area appears to be Nemophora laurella, so I have suggested that.

ibaird wrote:

5 Jan 2022

Yes. given this specimen has mainly a black head, I'm happier with N. laurella. I'll add that species to the taxonomy -assuming CNM will accept it OK. Although I note this specimen also has a distinctive yellow thorax, which I think looks different again to the ALA examples of N. laurella. So I think I will stick with an ID of Nemophora (genus) in this case for now. However I wonder given the iridescence, whether how the light falls on these species has a very big influence on how they look.

ibaird wrote:

5 Jan 2022

I was unsuccesful in trying to add Nemophora laurella to the taxonomy. I will report it via the Contact Form.

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