Moth anatomy: primary lines

This is the fourth lesson in my moth anatomy series. There are many different markings that can appear on the wings of moths. Among the more prominent and consistent markings are a pair of horizontal lines that traverse the forewings. (If you read the first post you’ll know what forewings are.) I’ve highlighted these two lines on just the right wing so that you can see the wing without my markup on the left. The yellow line that traverses the “upper” half of the wing, closer to the head, or the “base” of the wing, is called the antemedial line. This is commonly abbreviated “AM line.” The blue line which traverses the “lower” half of the wing is called the postmedial (“PM”) line.

 

It is mainly important to know the names of these lines for communicating about identification. For instance, you could say that the PM line bends sharply upward as it nears the outer edge of the wing on this moth. The species shown in this post is a Bent-lined Dart (Choephora fungorum). It’s name comes from that bend in the PM line.

 

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Done