haemocyanin11

Unido: 05.sep.2020 Última actividad: 08.ene.2024 iNaturalist

Introduction:
I am currently majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology at Texas A&M University. Sometimes, I like to take a gander outside and observe the natural world. However, this is not currently possible due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic. It has always enthralled me when I see the tremendous amount of diversity in the world.

Current Interests:
Peppered Moths of America - Biston betularia cognataria and Biston betularia contrasta. Initially, when I started to post on iNaturalist over a month ago, Peppered Moths only had one listed subspecies, cognataria. I was initially hesitant to curate the taxon because I was unsure of whether or not the numerous subspecies for this taxon truly exist. It turned out to be a prudent choice. Now, I knew that Peppered Moths in America do in fact have different phenotypes than the Peppered Moths in Europe. However, BOLD Systems had two subspecies. I was in limbo as to whether the contrasta subspecies existed. I thank @treichard for giving me the source to distinguish the Peppered Moth subspecies and confirming that the contrasta subspecies does in fact exist.

Cochisea sinuaria. While this moth may not have a common name, it is the most commonly observed species in the exclusively North American genus Cochisea. It also descendent from the genus Biston, which includes the Peppered Moth. This species, therefore, is also in the same tribe as the North American Peppered Moth, Bistonini. According to observations in iNaturalist, https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/347167-Cochisea-sinuaria, Cochisea sinuaria is found only in the Fall Season.

Lycia ypsilon - it is also called the Wooly Gray Moth. It looks like the European Oak Beauty, Biston strataria, but it has the brown colored sections reversed. It is also found exclusively in North America, as well as being found in the same tribe as Cochisea sinuaria and the Peppered Moth, Bistonini. According to observations by iNaturalist, https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/205180-Lycia-ypsilon, this moth is only found in the Spring Season.

Important Links:
https://books.google.com/books?id=lS2hDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA304&lpg=PA304&dq=Amphidasis+cognataria&source=bl&ots=vcji5QPrkY&sig=ACfU3U06TEG2nJSo7oOAAWZ2xl3juXUEig&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjGwYvT_OHrAhVGCM0KHfCVAtUQ6AEwEnoECAgQAQ#v=onepage&q=Amphidasis%20cognataria&f=false.
Ennominae II: (Boarmiini, Gnophini, additions to previous volumes). This describes Peppered Moths of America, and it was the first non-Wikipedia source that I found.
http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/handle/2246/616
If anyone wants to read this guide, it is what I am going to use to distinguish cognataria from contrasta. Again, I thank @treichard for posting this link on the forum. Feel free to learn the differences along with me.
https://cjai.biologicalsurvey.ca/d_17/d_17.pdf
This book describes the differences between each Superfamily, Family, Subfamily, and Tribe of Lepidoptera found in Canada. Plus, it has colored pictures!
https://www.gbif.org/species/1975897
GBIF, or the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, houses important scientific data for global biodiversity. It is available to the public for free. GBIF has information that supplements iNaturalist, even though it utilizes iNaturalist as a source of global biodiversity information.
http://www.barcodinglife.org/index.php/Taxbrowser_Taxonpage?searchMenu=taxonomy&query=Biston+betularia&taxon=Biston+betularia
BOLD Systems is also known as Barcoding Of Life Diversity Systems. It is a catalogue of taxa based on DNA and RNA sequences. The system is now on Version 4. Note that this does not have as many available sub-taxa when compared to GBIF.

Activity:
I will try to log on everyday, but there is no guarantee that I will. Life is busy, after all.

Miscellaneous:
I will often describe the Peppered Moths in America as having a "Cookies-and-Cream swirl". It was the first thing that came into my head when I looked at them, and it has stuck with me ever since. I would appreciate any other useful descriptions.

Etymology:
*Moved to the Journal Section to make more space for other species.

Disclaimer:
I am not a professional or expert on moths, so there is definitely a possibility that I will get some identifications wrong.

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