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Clemensia albata Dark enough to be considered Clemensia umbrata which is one of three species (Clemensia albata Packard, C. umbrata Packard, stat. rev., and Clemensia ochreata Schmidt &amp; Sullivan, sp. n.) formerly lumped into a single species, Clemensia albata. Determination to species is possible by genital dissection and DNA analysis. <a href="https://zookeys.pensoft.net/lib/ajax_srv/article_elements_srv.php?action=download_pdf&amp;item_id=26048" rel="nofollow">https://zookeys.pensoft.net/lib/ajax_srv/article_elements_srv.php?action=download_pdf&amp;item_id=26048</a><br />
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These three species are an example of parapatric speciation where &quot;there is no specific extrinsic barrier to gene flow. The population is continuous, but nonetheless, the population does not mate randomly. Individuals are more likely to mate with their geographic neighbors than with individuals in a different part of the population&rsquo;s range. In this mode, divergence may happen because of reduced gene flow within the population and varying selection pressures across the population&rsquo;s range.&quot; <a href="https://evolution.berkeley.edu/evo101/VC1dParapatric.shtml" rel="nofollow">https://evolution.berkeley.edu/evo101/VC1dParapatric.shtml</a><br />
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This may well be Clemensia umbrata which is more common in northern MInnesota than Clemensia albata.<br />
<a href="http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=8098" rel="nofollow">http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=8098</a><br />
<a href="http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=8098.2" rel="nofollow">http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=8098.2</a> Clemensia albata,Geotagged,Lepidoptera,Little white lichen moth,Summer,United States,insect,moth Click/tap to enlarge Promoted

Clemensia albata

Dark enough to be considered Clemensia umbrata which is one of three species (Clemensia albata Packard, C. umbrata Packard, stat. rev., and Clemensia ochreata Schmidt & Sullivan, sp. n.) formerly lumped into a single species, Clemensia albata. Determination to species is possible by genital dissection and DNA analysis. https://zookeys.pensoft.net/lib/ajax_srv/article_elements_srv.php?action=download_pdf&item_id=26048

These three species are an example of parapatric speciation where "there is no specific extrinsic barrier to gene flow. The population is continuous, but nonetheless, the population does not mate randomly. Individuals are more likely to mate with their geographic neighbors than with individuals in a different part of the population’s range. In this mode, divergence may happen because of reduced gene flow within the population and varying selection pressures across the population’s range." https://evolution.berkeley.edu/evo101/VC1dParapatric.shtml

This may well be Clemensia umbrata which is more common in northern MInnesota than Clemensia albata.
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=8098
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=8098.2

    comments (7)

  1. Love the in-depth considerations. It shows how complex it is to specify clear boundaries between species. Posted 4 years ago
    1. I've often wondered about species of small insects that have large ranges and if crypto-species exist among these groups we call species. One example is Graphocephala coccinea which has a range from Canada to Panama. Posted 4 years ago
      1. What is a crypto-species? Google didn't help much. Posted 4 years ago
        1. Well, first of all, they're not Big Foot or the Loch Ness Monster.

          "Cryptic speciation is a biological process that results in a group of species (which, by definition, cannot interbreed) that contain individuals that are morphologically identical to each other but belong to different species." https://www.amentsoc.org/insects/glossary/terms/cryptic-speciation/

          "Large genetic distances within traditionally recognizedspecies, often in combination with morphological,geographical and other subtle differences, have revealedcryptic species in most types of organism and habitat..." https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6668157_Cryptic_species_as_a_window_on_diversity_and_conservation
          Posted 4 years ago
          1. Thank you for this background info, I wasn't familiar with it at all. Kind of makes you wonder about taxonomy...by the time we would ever have things properly described, reality has changed already. It's too fleeting. Posted 4 years ago
  2. Lovely lighting Gary Posted 4 years ago
  3. Fascinating! Posted 4 years ago

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''Clemensia albata'', the little white lichen moth, is a moth of the family Erebidae. It was described by Packard in 1864. It is found in eastern North America, west across boreal Canada to south-eastern British Columbia. The range extends along the Pacific Coast south to Monterey Bay in west-central California.

Similar species: Moths And Butterflies
Species identified by Gary B
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By Gary B

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Uploaded Aug 7, 2021. Captured Jul 22, 2020 22:27 in 4408 Miller Rd, Barnum, MN 55707, USA.
  • Canon EOS Rebel T6
  • f/4.0
  • 1/64s
  • ISO800
  • 100mm