Dyspteris

Hübner, 1818

bad-wing

Species Guides

1

Dyspteris is a of in the Geometridae, Larentiinae, erected by Jacob Hübner in 1818. The genus contains a single , Dyspteris abortivaria, commonly known as the bad-wing. The refers to the species' distinctive wing asymmetry, where the forewing is substantially larger than the hindwing. This genus is to North America.

Dyspteris abortivaria by (c) judygva (back in town and trying to catch up), some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.Dyspteris abortivaria by (c) Patrick Hanly, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Patrick Hanly. Used under a CC-BY license.Dyspteris by (c) Laura Gaudette, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Laura Gaudette. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Dyspteris: /dɪsˈpterɪs/

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Identification

The single in this , Dyspteris abortivaria, is distinguished by pronounced wing dimorphism: the forewing is markedly larger than the hindwing, a trait so distinctive that it inspired the "bad-wing." This asymmetry makes specimens difficult to spread in standard entomological preparation. As a genus, identification to genus level is equivalent to species identification.

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Distribution

North America, with records from the United States including Vermont.

More Details

Monotypy and nomenclature

Dyspteris is , containing only Dyspteris abortivaria (Herrich-Schäffer, 1855). The was established by Hübner in 1818, predating the description by 37 years.

Wing morphology

The "bad-wing" directly references the practical difficulty that collectors when attempting to spread specimens due to the forewing-hindwing size disparity.

Sources and further reading