1. Abdominal terga with dark, freckle-like spots around bases of iintercalary setae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Abdominal terga without freckled appearance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2. Dark transvers pigment band through ocellar area beariing scattered dark spots (freckles) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Perlesta ephelida
Dark transverse pigment band on heead uniformly colored, with out freckles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
3. Pronotum with pair of large, pale areas free of clothing hairs; occipital setal row not extending to ecdysial suture (not known in Ohio). . . . . . . . Perlesta cinctipes
Pronotal clothing hirs rather evenly distributed; occipital setal row extending to ecdysial suture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Perlesta decipiens
4. Pronotum with a pair of dark parenthesis-shaped bars; head without pale M-line. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Perlesta teaysia
Pronotum without dark parenthesis-shaped bars; head with pale M-line, but sometimes incomplete. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
5. Most of dark pigment on head restricted to area of frons anterior to lateral oceli; known from the Appalacians and areas east of the mountains (not known in Ohio). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Perlesta frisoni
Dark pigment on head covering most of frons anterior to exdysial suture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Perlesta adena
This key does not include others known from Ohio: Perlesta armitagei (larvae unknown), P. lagoi, or P. xube.
*Perlesta ephelida is described as P. shubata by Poulton & Stewart (1991). Grubbs et al. (2013) revised the designation of Perlesta shubata to Perlesta ephelida for most of its range, including Ohio.
Note: The keys of Stewart and Stark (2002) fail to recognize Perlesta that lack a row of socketed setae on the occiput, described by Poulton and Stewart (1991). Stark (2017) offers another partial key to Perlesta (see here) but it also fails to recognize Group B Perlesta lacking a row of socketed setae on the occiput.
Fig. 1 Perlesta ephelida
Photo credit: www.insectsofiowa.com [given as Perlesta shubuta]
