Moths with wing deformities

[Monarchrst at aol.com]

Replying to Stan Gorodenski's comments on deformed butterflies, I can comment 
that I too noted several deformities recently.  Blacklighting in southeast 
Arizona, in Santa Cruz County on July 31, 2003, I was struck by the number of 
moths coming to the light that exhibited wing crumpling and other wing 
deformities.  In almost all cases, only one side was affected, but it was curious in 
that it extended to micros as well as macro moths.  This was the first time I 
have noticed this in any numbers.  The percentage affected was very low.  
Probably out of many thousands of moths, a dozen were so observed.  I attributed it 
at the time to the very dry summer that we have been experiencing here in 
Arizona.

Ian Watkinson, Yuma, Arizona.

 
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