Click below to reveal the answer to this weeks’ quiz!
The species on the right is the moth! This individual is part of a difficult to distinguish complex of the Spear-marked Black Moth and the White-banded Black Moth. The butterfly on the left is the Wild Indigo Duskywing.
To differentiate these two, you can look at their antennae. Butterfly antennae generally end in a club or a hook, while moths have a variety of antennae types including feathered, combed, thick, etc. They can even have clubbed or hooked antennae - so make sure you check multiple characteristics! The Moth here has slightly thicker antennae with no club or antennae at the end, compared to the hooked antennae on the Wild Indigo Duskywing.
Wild Indigo Duskywing by Kent McFarland (iNaturalist)
Spear-marked Black Moth x White-banded Black Moth complex by Bruce Cook (iNaturalist)
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