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Wasp mimic moth

Trichura

Photo by Les Catchick
Published on Project Noah
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-6.42, -76.31

Field Notes

Description:

Blue clearwing day-flying moth as in the photo.
The tail strikes me as being unusual.

Habitat:

Mixture of rain forest and open area at 718 m. Aconabikh is a private reserve located in the Cordillera Escalera, near the city of Tarapoto, at Km 24.5 of the PN-5NB road, Tarapoto - Yurimaguas, near the town of Santa Rosa, just 5.5 km after the tunnel, in the Region of San Martín. This strategic reserve protects 40 hectares of rain forest in the buffer zone of the Cordillera Escalera Regional Conservation Area, between 700 and 900 meters above sea level.

Species ID Suggestions

Wasp Moth

Trichura sp.
bayucca
1

Comments (4)
Les Catchick
Thanks Dominik. I have several other photos of it so some might be of use if I knew what exactly you needed.
bayucca
Definitely a Trichura sp., but I cannot tell you for sure which one it is. I only could compare the veins, but in yours I can't identify some markings on a safe base. I am pretty sure it is not Trichura cerberus and I cannot trust almost any other ID on the net.
Les Catchick
Thank you Melinda. Yes, the tail is very similar and not something I had noticed before. There are many great wasp mimic moths but the tail to me is the striking feature. I read comments on that sighting suggesting the wasp might be dangerous which astonished me coming from the guide there.
MelindaKiser
I found your spotting to be very interesting and found another spotting with a similar caudal appendage. http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/17359119 that was spotted in Belize. Good luck with identification. It's a beatiful wasp mimic!

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Butterflies & Moths of the World

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Photographed
PublishedOctober 20, 2018

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