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 43 saturniid seasonal morphs DHJanzen100636.jpg high resolution
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| Armed with the Rothschildia lebeau example, color variation in other saturniid moths becomes easier to understand. This is an array of Adeloneivaia isara males (smaller) and females (larger) caught at the lights in the dry forest in the ACG. They were caught and mounted before the color variation in R. lebeau was understood, and the drawer of A. isara specimens was noteworthy for the extreme variablility in color patterns and intensity, so much so that it was wondered whether there were in fact two species in this sample. Then, taking a cue from Rothschildia lebeau, I simply separated them by date of capture - before and after the rainy season began (which is about 15 May in normal years). Bingo! Those in the dry season match dry light brown leaves. Those in the rainy season match moldly moist dead leaves, with their small dark spots of fungi. | ||
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