19 June 2013

19 June 2013 – A Mistaken Rarity.

Crambus lathoniellus

We identified a new micro-moth. Patrick and I both, independently, mistook it for the extremely scarce Crambus ericella, but our hopes were dashed and we were set right by Dr. Chesmore. It is in fact the common Crambus lathoniellus. It has a white line near the outer edge of the wing (here near the bottom) that the Crambus ericella does not. Krambos ‘dry, parched’ either describes the hay-like coloration of the many of the species or the mainly dry grassland habitat that they are found in. It is easy to see how one of these moths could hide among several blades of grass. Lathoniellus comes from Leto or Letona, the mother of Apollo and Artemis. An older classification of nemorella comes from nemus or nemoris, ‘a woodland glade.’ This brings the species count to 263.

– Post by Jane Wu