Pale Gatekeeper

Dormouse · Post by **Dormouse** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 7:43 pm

Hi,

This one was fluttering about my garden today. Is it common to see them like this or is it a known aberation?

DM

Post by **Pete Eeles** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 8:34 pm

Both ab. mincki and ab. subalbida are possibilities. As shown in the Cockayne database of the Natural History Museum:

http://internt.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/research ... S=tithonus

Cheers,

- Pete

Dormouse · Post by **Dormouse** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 8:54 pm

Thanks Pete,

I'll have to see if I can get a better picture and then maybe I'll be able to work out which one s/he is!

DM

Dormouse · Post by **Dormouse** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 9:46 pm

Although on second viewing I think mine is a male mincki because of the wide pale patches on the lower wings and the black dot. The subalbida has smaller pale patches and a bigger dot.

What do you think?

DM

Post by **Pete Eeles** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 11:02 pm

Sounds fair enough! Unfortunately, I don't have an extensive set of reference materials regarding aberrations (yet!). So your stab at this is as good as mine. Hopefully another visitor will be able to add something!

Cheers,

- Pete

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 1:06 pm

Can't add athing but to say the link you put up, Pete, is facinating, and the Cocayne Collection is now firmly in "My Favourites"

Martin.

PS - Doormouse...well spotted!

Post by **Pete Eeles** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 1:34 pm

For into - the link to the Natural History Cockayne collection is also available as one of the links on each species page

Cheers,

- Pete

eccles · Post by **eccles** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 3:11 pm

Looks like a male; it has the male dark scent scales on the upper wings.
Nice spot, and a photo is a real luxury!

Dormouse · Post by **Dormouse** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 10:43 pm

At the request of my county moth recorder I sent my 3 pics to the Natural History Museum for a definative Id. It took over a month but I finally got a reply:

"This specimen appears to be more like ab. subalbida Verity although there is only a subtle difference in colour between this ab. and ab. mincki Seebold. It is impossible to tell which one it is for certain from the photo as the colours may be distorted. "

So there it is

You can see why the experts need to see the real thing and it proves that you chaps all did a fantastic job for me - thank you

Either way, neither aberrants have been recorded round my way for some 30 years so the county moth recorder is happy and it is going to be offically logged (although as what, I don't know

)

Dearie me, I almost hope I don't find another one this year, can't bare not having an exact name

DM

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