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Trichura cerberus
Brightly colored blue and black day flying clearwing moth with extension on abdomen similar in appearance to ichneumon wasp. In a similar species, Trichura cerberus, the male has the abdominal appendage, and the wings are edged in a thick black line, with a black line bisecting the wings
On exposed sunny hillside along the path at the viewpoint for 1000 foot falls
As I was getting close to photograph this moth, our guide was making noises about I shouldn't get close to it, that I was braver than he was.The other couple on the trip with us was thrilled by the find and photographed it after I did, but their little camera didn't have the capability, so at lunch my camera got handed around as we made the decision this was lepidoptera.
Looks pretty much identical to Trichura nr. esmeralda.
Please check this link :)
http://v3.boldsystems.org/index.php/Taxb...
Now we need to match-make! LOL. The wings on mine were clearer than in the website, or of the female, but beyond that, I'm willing to call it a match. And the female was in Honduras - not too far from Belize! And thank you!
Thank you Larry! I wish we had such colorful critters in Oregon! Guess I just have to leave every winter.
I'm not convinced either. there is something beyond the heavy black lines.... and the only email I have is for whatsthatbug whatsthatbug.com@gmail.com
Cool, Trichura is safe! Uff! But I am not convinced yet about Cerberus. There are no reports for Cerberus from Central America. There are Druryi, Latifasciata and Esmeralda from your aera. I try to get closer. Do you have the mail address from Julian?
From what bug is this:
Arctiid expert Julian Donahue confirms your genus, not family, Trichura taxonomy.
Julian Donahue responds
Ctenuchid for sure. Members of the genus Trichura appear to mimic Pepsis tarantula wasps, with that posterior appendage that looks like the trailing legs of a wasp. About 15 species are currently placed in Trichura, some without the terminal appendage (but maybe described from specimens that had lost it?), but this one is most likely T. cerberus (which is supposed to have a wider forewing discal bar than shows in the photo) or T. druryi, originally described as lacking the caudal appendage, both of which occur in Central America. As in most ctenuchid genera, this genus has not been subject to a modern taxonomic revision.
Curiously, the sesiid genus Alcathoe has a similar caudal appendage, and also mimics Pepsis wasps.
Julian
Me too! This is my personal fate... The crop is fine. I have some historical descriptions. I hope I can follow them. Need first to get knowledge about what they are talking about.
Really? I may yet get an ID on this one? I had hoped very much for a clearwing moth on this trip, and was thrilled to get this one. Now I want to know "who" he is.
Spotted on Dec 27, 2012
Submitted on Jan 15, 2013
+2
