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Nemoria intensaria
strongly resembles Nemoria
caerulescens and Ferguson (1985) reported that the two species
were indistinguishable on the basis of genitalic structures. The species
provides an interesting case of an almost cryptic southwestern species
that may be reliably distinguished from other Nemoria only on the
basis of subtle adult characters, larval morphology, and perhaps DNA
sequencing. The ground color of the wing in intensaria is
typically a grass green shade, similar in hue to the green wing of
Nemoria obliqua. N. caerulescens is often distinguished from
intensaria by a somewhat more blue turquoise shade of green on
the caerulescens wing and typically thinner, less distinct am and
pm lines on the intensaria wing. A series of probable Nemoria
intensaria among the caerulescens specimens in USNM stands
out in its different wing color, and Ferguson set these aside with a
note indicating he believed them to be intensaria. Adults of
Nemoria intensaria have been collected in New Mexico,
Arizona, Texas, Utah, Nevada and California. For a species with such a
broad geographic range, it is interesting that there are relatively few
clearly identified specimens of intensaria available for study.
The type locality for intensaria was in Eureka, UT and the type
specimen is reported to be held at the AMNH (see below).
Larval stages may be
important to distinguish between intensaria and the similar
caerulescens and obliqua. Ferguson reported the larvae of
intensaria reared on Rhus trilobata similar to obliqua
but smoother; caerulescens larvae we reared rejected repeated
offerings of Rhus trilobata and have distinctly elongated
lateral protuberances on the abdominal segments, resembling eastern
Nemoria species in the bistriaria group and not very similar
to obliqua. |
