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Digital Guide to Moth Identification

Geometridae
91a0143 – 7425   Venusia cambrica Curtis, 1839
             Welsh Wave

DNA - © Dick Wilson
Distribution: Caution: A single range map dot for a Canadian province may represent records without specific location data.
Type locality: "Hafad in Cardigan [Wales], near Devil's Bridge"
Type locality (scitularia, Walker, 1860, syn.): New York
Type locality (terraenovae): Newfoundland.
Description/
Field Marks:
Males have antennae bipectinate.
Genitalia: See British Lepidoptera
Similar Species:
  • Venusia cambrica is represented at BOLD by two BIN groups: AAA1585, North American, and AAA1586, Eurasian. DNA barcode separates the two by ~4.62% which supports treatment as two separate species. If split, the name V. scitularia, Walker, 1860, TL=NY, currently treated as a synonym of cambrica, would seem to apply to the NA population.
  • Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.)
Synonymy: • Venusia cambrica Curtis, 1839
• Venusia cambricaria Guenιe, [1858]
• Hydrelia erutaria Boisduval, 1840
• Cidaria nebulosaria Freyer, 1852
• Tephrosia scitularia Walker, 1860
• Venusia shuotsu Bryk, 1949
• Hydrelia terraenovae Krogerus, 1954
Taxonomic Notes: Venusia cambrica Curtis, 1839 includes as a synonym Hydrelia terraenovae Krogerus, 1954 (Schmidt & McGuinness in Pohl & Nanz (eds.) 2023).
References
  • Barcode of Life (BOLD) - Caution: Some specimens shown may not be sequenced. DNA barcode provides evidence of relatedness not proof of identification.
  • Barcode of Life (BOLD) - BIN: BOLD:AAA1585 (North America)
  • Barcode of Life (BOLD) - BIN: BOLD:AAA1586 (Eurasia)
  • Curtis, J., 1823-1840. British Entomology; Being Illustrations and Descriptions of the Genera of Insects Found in Great Britain and Ireland: Containing Coloured Figures from Nature of the Most Rare and Beautiful Species, and in Many Instances of the Plants upon which they are Found, Vol. 6; Lepidoptera, Part 2: pl. 759. (not paginated, description follows plate)
  • Krogerns, H., 1954. Investigations on the Lepidoptera of Newfoundland. I. Macrolepidoptera. Acta Zoologica Fennica, 82: 1-80.
  • Packard, A.S., 1874. Catalogue of the Phalaenidae of California. No. 2. Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History, 16: 13-40.
  • Pohl, G. R. and S. R. Nanz (eds.), 2023. Annotated Taxonomic Checklist of the Lepidoptera of North America, North of Mexico. Wedge Entomological Research Foundation, Bakersfield, California, xiv + 580 pp. (order).
  • Powell, J. A. & P. A. Opler, 2009. Moths of Western North America, Pl. 33.5m; p. 227. Book Review and ordering
  • Species Page at British Lepidoptera by Chris Lewis
  • Species Page at BugGuide.Net
  • Species Page at Mass Moths
  • Walker, F., 1860. Gemeotrites. List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum, 21: 406. (scitularia, syn.)
Venusia cambrica
© John Davis
Venusia cambrica
© Libby & Rick Avis - DNA
Venusia cambrica
LG – © Jim Troubridge
Venusia cambrica
LG – © Jim Troubridge
Venusia cambrica
27mm – © Jim Vargo

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