Comment: Erythridula is a very challenging genus to identify to species level, as there can be variation in pattern and coloration within species, and many species resemble one another. Dissecting specimens is the the only way to determine species for many cases. This page represents individuals that could represent either E. aesculella or E. rubroscuta, two species that are essentially identical in appearance and coloration. Therefore, it is not reliable to distinguish any individuals in this group to species level without analyzing a specimen. Below are the descriptions from the 3I database, and links to those species profile pages, that show how similar these species can be to one another.
E. aesculella- Dorsum yellow or white. Color pattern red or orange. Vertex unicolorous. Vertex midline pale. Face without black spots anterodorsad of antennal pits. Anteclypeus pale, concolorous with rest of face. Pronotum almost entirely dark. Mesonotum entirely dark, apex pale, contrasting with rest of mesonotum. Thoracic venter entirely pale. Forewings without oblique vittae, with crossband, not reaching lateral margins and bases of wings, without numerous irregular red dots. Clavus with dark band, apex and base pale. Forewings without dark spot on costal margin. Forewing apical cell II without distal spot, inner apical cell without brown spot. Abdomen pale dorsally.
E. rubroscuta- Dorsum yellow or white. Color pattern red or orange. Vertex unicolorous or with oblique lateral vittae. Vertex midline pale. Face without black spots anterodorsad of antennal pits. Anteclypeus pale, concolorous with rest of face. Pronotum almost entirely dark. Mesonotum entirely dark, apex concolorous with rest of mesonotum. Thoracic venter entirely pale. Forewings without oblique vittae, with crossband, not reaching lateral margins and bases of wings, without numerous irregular red dots. Clavus with dark band, apex and base pale. Forewings without dark spot on costal margin. Forewing apical cell II without distal spot, inner apical cell without brown spot. Abdomen pale dorsally. |