Any suggestions on where to learn moth/butterfly anatomy and scientific terminology, especial moth wing pattern terms.
I have tried every insect book in my library and multiple lepidopterist websites, but I mostly get general anatomy terms (thorax, palpi, etc). Occasionally they will cover anatomical directions (lateral, anterior, ect.) But I am finding few resources that really go into the details of wing shape, marking shape, venation, etc.
And what I have found seems to use different systems. (ie. the Posterior, Trailing edge, the Dorsum, and the Inner Margin all seem to be referring to the same area of the wing?)
Is this an American vs European thing? Old taxonomy vs new taxonomy system thing?
When explaining my moth ID choice, I’d like to be able to explain what I see better then, “Look at that banana shaped splotch on the left under the wiggly line”.
I don’t think there is any such thing for Leps, such as you seek. Each taxonomic group of insects has its own peculiarities, that’s what separates the groups! Each specialist may have to invent his/her own suite of terminology….
I try to keep in mind that many (most??) users of iNat are not botanists, biologists, etc. I am not either. Over many years, I have learned some of the ‘correct’ names for various plant/animal parts. I actually work to NOT include these terms (or to include them in parenthesis) and to use a description like your example: “Look at that banana shaped splotch on the left under the wiggly line” so that everyone (hopefully) reading it can understand what I am referring to.
Learning the ‘proper’ names can be a great pursuit for being able to read/write more scientific documents, for your own education, etc. Go for it!!!
If you are wanting to learn the terms to share ID details, etc. on iNat, that may not be necessary.
Dorsum is not the same as the other three terms. Dorsum refers to the top side of the wings — the side you see when looking at the moth’s back. Ventrum refers to the side you see when looking at the moth’s underbelly. I prefer “upperside” and “underside.”
As someone else recommended, consider avoiding too many technical terms, or else explain them when you use them. But more common or very useful terms may be worth using. For me, this includes: reniform, orbicular, basal, submedian, median, postmedian, submarginal, marginal, apex, trailing edge, leading edge, outer margin, fringe.
I think there is some confusion between ‘Dorsal’ and ‘Dorsum’.
Dorsal (opposite of ventral) is the back or upperside of something in general.
But I am still confused about Dorsum, which should mean the same thing as Dorsal, but I’ve seen used to describe the back edge (trailing edge) of the wing. Maybe its has just colloquially taken on that meaning.
…Apologies If I’m being pedantic, I’m a small details type of person
From Torre-Bueno’s A Glossary Of Entomology (1985): “dorsum, in general, the upper surface; in Coleoptera, often confined to the meso- and metathorax; in Odonata, it includes the mesepisterna and the meso- and metathoracic terga; in Diptera the upper surface of the thorax, limited by the dorsopleural sutures laterally, the scutellum posteriorly and the neck anteriorly; in Lepidoptera, the lower or inner margin of the wing.”
Posterior refers in general to the butt-end of the moth, dorsum refers in general to the moth’s back, and the other two are referring to a wing edge. The typical term in Lepidoptera literature for it is the inner margin (abbreviated IM). It is the “trailing edge” of the wing as the moth flies, but I’ve never seen that term used for it in professional literature. The three wing edges for a typical triangular moth forewing are called costa, termen, and inner margin in most papers.
Dorsum is always a noun in english: it means “the back”. Dorsal is usually used as an adjective in english: it means “relating to the back”. So for example, we can talk about either the “the hairs on the dorsum” (noun), or “the dorsal hairs” (adjective). But dorsal can also be turned into a noun. Thus, it’s also possible to talk about “the dorsals”, rather than “the dorsal hairs”.
Not sure where you are based but most the more serious leps field guides aimed at amateurs here in the UK tend to have a little illustration which shows what key features mean with arrows pointing them out. They don’t all use the same terminology of course.
More casual guides often don’t, and those aimed at more professional readers often tend to assume people know the terms already.
