| Comment: Ossiannilssonola can be a challenging genus to identify to species level. Luckily, O. serrula differs by lacking the brown markings anterior to the apical crossveins in the inner three basal cells that are characteristic of many other members of this genus. O. serrula could most be confused with O. flavomarginata, with type V of that species having whitish wings and a white to cream-colored dorsum, while flavomarginata type IV is smaller at 3.25 mm and more of an orange-yellow color, sometimes with a dark band around the apical wing veins. O. flavomarginata is also, so far, a strictly montane species in North Carolina. (Christian, 1953)
Additionally, O. serrula could be confused with Edwardsiana, a genus that tends to have a similar yellowish coloration. However, the wing venation is different- in Ossiannilssonola, the apical crossveins tend to more or less form a line, whereas Edwardsiana (like Empoa) has a jagged, zigzag apical crossvein pattern. A detailed pic of the wings is therefore necessary to get a ense of which genus these yellowish individuals belong to. Furthermore, Edwardsiana is a more slender genus, with comparatively longerwings and a thinner but longer head. |
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