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Index of Subjects --089e0115ed389e636004e0617762 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 I use a three-step process for ID-ing moths: first I try to narrow down to a genus or group of genera using a field guide such as Peterson's, followed by referring to two essential sites on the web. Bug guide ( http://bugguide.net) is a great resource, but the Moth Photographer's site has more species and they are arranged according to their Hodges numbers. http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/ The Moth Photographer's Group species listings features links to the Bug Guide pages for the species; this enables you to see a wide variety of photos and commentary. I'd love to see a ring of ferns! Larry Ayers On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 7:49 AM, Peter Payzant <pce@accesswave.ca> wrote: > Hi, Steve- > > Yes, MONA would be a huge investment, and in fact might not be a very good > one, if you were mainly interested in assigning a name to a photo or > specimen. This is a huge project and is far from complete, even though it > has been going on since the early '70s. Furthermore, although it has > wonderful photos, they aren't necessarily helpful in making an > identification, due to the problems of individual variation within a > species and similarities between species. > > Like all science, the taxonomy of moths is in constant flux and you will > find the same organism named differently depending upon the age of the > reference you use. Likewise the higher-level organization (families, etc.) > changes with time. > > To identify a moth, I usually go to a whole bunch of references including > field guides, Holland's ancient moth book, Ferguson's "Lepidoptera of Nova > Scotia" and of course the web. It's important to get some idea of the > range, habitat and food plants for the species, since for example something > which feeds on Yucca could pretty much be ruled out for Nova Scotia. If > you're lucky, the moth you're trying to ID won't look much like any other > species, and you will be happy with the ID. Other times, the one you are > trying to find will look like several different species or none! > > If you are really serious about naming a specimen, the Nova Scotia Museum > has a good collection of local moths and it may be possible to get some > help from them, although no doubt this would be dependent upon whether they > have the resources to deal with this sort of request. > > As for the ring of ferns, sorry but I haven't a clue. > > Peter > > > > > > On 2013-06-29 7:11 PM, Steve Shaw wrote: > >> Thanks, Peter, interesting. It would be quite an investment even to own >> all of the 28 volumes of moth families advertised so far in the site that >> you indicated (of the ~130 expected), that presumably underpin the >> Checklist or part of it. For a modest $20, the Checklist is presumably >> just that, a list of proper binomial names without illustrations. This >> raises the question of how you are supposed to go from finding, say, an >> unidentified local green geometer to putting a Hodges name on it. >> BugGuide? It is a quite different matter doing this for the estimated >> 16,000+ moths than for local butterflies, where your excellent, updated >> Butterflies site gives images of all 70-odd species that have occurred in >> NS, making identification much easier. Bev's site is a great starting >> point for the moths, but I think it is fairly recent. >> > > --089e0115ed389e636004e0617762 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr">I use a three-step process for ID-ing moths: first I try t= o narrow down to a genus or group of genera using a field guide such as Pet= erson's, followed by referring to two essential sites on the web. Bug g= uide (http://bugguide.net) is a great r= esource, but the Moth Photographer's site has more species and they are= arranged according to their Hodges numbers.<div> <br></div><div><a href=3D"http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/">http:= //mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/</a><br></div><div><br></div><div>The = Moth Photographer's Group species listings features links to the Bug Gu= ide pages for the species; this enables you to see a wide variety of photos= and commentary.</div> <div><br></div><div>I'd love to see a ring of ferns!</div><div><br></di= v><div>Larry Ayers =A0</div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div><div class= =3D"gmail_extra"><br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at= 7:49 AM, Peter Payzant <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:pce@accessw= ave.ca" target=3D"_blank">pce@accesswave.ca</a>></span> wrote:<br> <blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p= x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Hi, Steve-<br> <br> Yes, MONA would be a huge investment, and in fact might not be a very good = one, if you were mainly interested in assigning a name to a photo or specim= en. This is a huge project and is far from complete, even though it has bee= n going on since the early '70s. Furthermore, although it has wonderful= photos, they aren't necessarily helpful in making an identification, d= ue to the problems of individual variation within a species and similaritie= s between species.<br> <br> Like all science, the taxonomy of moths is in constant flux and you will fi= nd the same organism named differently depending upon the age of the refere= nce you use. Likewise the higher-level organization (families, etc.) change= s with time.<br> <br> To identify a moth, I usually go to a whole bunch of references including f= ield guides, Holland's ancient moth book, Ferguson's "Lepidopt= era of Nova Scotia" and of course the web. It's important to get s= ome idea of the range, habitat and food plants for the species, since for e= xample something which feeds on Yucca could pretty much be ruled out for No= va Scotia. If you're lucky, the moth you're trying to ID won't = look much like any other species, and you will be happy with the ID. Other = times, the one you are trying to find will look like several different spec= ies or none!<br> <br> If you are really serious about naming a specimen, the Nova Scotia Museum h= as a good collection of local moths and it may be possible to get some help= from them, although no doubt this would be dependent upon whether they hav= e the resources to deal with this sort of request.<br> <br> As for the ring of ferns, sorry but I haven't a clue.<span class=3D"HOE= nZb"><font color=3D"#888888"><br> <br> Peter</font></span><div class=3D"HOEnZb"><div class=3D"h5"><br> <br> <br> <br> <br> On 2013-06-29 7:11 PM, Steve Shaw wrote:<br> <blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p= x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"> Thanks, Peter, interesting. =A0 It would be quite an investment even to own= all of the 28 volumes of moth families advertised so far in the site that = you indicated (of the ~130 expected), that presumably underpin the Checklis= t or part of it. =A0 For a modest $20, the Checklist is presumably just tha= t, a list of proper binomial names without illustrations. =A0This raises th= e question of how you are supposed to go from finding, say, an unidentified= local green geometer to putting a Hodges name on it. =A0BugGuide? =A0It is= a quite different matter doing this for the estimated 16,000+ moths than f= or local butterflies, where your excellent, updated Butterflies site gives = images of all 70-odd species that have occurred in NS, making identificatio= n much easier. =A0Bev's site is a great starting point for the moths, b= ut I think it is fairly recent.<br> </blockquote> <br> </div></div></blockquote></div><br></div> --089e0115ed389e636004e0617762--
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