Nemoria albilineata Cassino, 1927. [7044.1]

Nemoria albilineata, adult male, collection of the National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian). Specimen collected Fort Davis, Jeff Davis Co., TX 27 March 1965.

Nemoria albilineata in the collections of the National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian).

Nemoria albilineata strongly resembles Nemoria festaria, and Ferguson reported it is indistinguishable from festaria on the basis of genitalic structures. Nemoria albilineata is reported only from the Davis and Chisos mountains of western Texas, within the broad geographic range of the fairly widespread and common Nemoria festaria. Ferguson wrote that Nemoria albilineata specimens always lack a red terminal line on the wing margin, a feature that is typically present on specimens of Nemoria festaria, but several specimens grouped with albilineata in the USNM collection clearly have a very thin red terminal marking on the posterior portion of the wing margins alongside other specimens from the same locality that do not show any red terminal line markings. Ferguson held out the possibility that Nemoria albilineata could be a Texas subspecies of festaria, a possibility that would perhaps best be resolved by data and understanding of the larval stages of albilineata and a comparison of DNA sequences that might add evidence supporting the retention of Nemoria albilineata as a distinct species. For images of Nemoria albilineata eggs, larvae and pupa click here.

Nemoria albilineata adult male, reared ex ovum.

Nemoria albilineata, adult female, reared ex ovum.