Moth Night 2022

Posted on July 27, 2022 by roadsendnaturalist

There are moths outside, ready to die for a light they crave but which is denied to them, … Sometimes, in the midst of all I have been given, I watch the moths in us all. Everybody has a light which they think they cannot live without.

~Alma Alexander

A bit of a deep starting quote perhaps, but, with all that is happening right now in our world, I realize even more now that, for both Melissa and I, nature is the light that we cannot live without. So, we did find the time and energy to have a few friends over this past weekend for our annual moth night. This week is National Moth Week, where thousands of people around the world are out looking at our nocturnal neighbors. It is a simple thing that anyone can do, and it opens up a new world of biodiversity and beauty right in your own backyard.

Moths are insects, related to butterflies, but they differ from their better-known cousins in many respects. Most moths fly at night (we do have some common day-flying moths in our area, like the Hummingbird Clearwing). Moth antennae are either tapered or feathered in shape whereas butterflies have knobs or hooks at the tips of theirs. And many moths have a “hairy” looking body, whereas a butterfly’s body tends to be leaner and smoother.

In North Carolina, 177 species of butterflies have been recorded. Compare that to the 2962 species (and counting) of moths we have. Though they can often be challenging to identify to species, there are now several great resources for moth enthusiasts. Some of my favorites include: Peterson Feld Guide to Moths of Southeastern North America; BugGuide (https://bugguide.net); North Carolina Biodiversity Project (https://nc-biodiversity.com/); and two free apps – Leps by Fieldguide and Seek by iNaturalist. And, don’t forget, you can still enjoy the beauty and wonder of these members of the neighborhood night shift even if you can’t find them in a field guide.

We have a couple of inexpensive black lights that project light in the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum. We set them outside, next to a suspended white sheet, one on the front porch, one on the back deck. then we go out periodically to see what has been attracted to the light. This set-up brings in many species of moths as well as other night-flying insects. Many species tend to come in and just sit on the sheet, making them easy to observe. A few tend to fly in and bounce around, never settling for very long as you desperately try to get a photo for identification.

Here is a sampling of our tally for the night. Most are fairly small (except where noted) and photos are taken with a 100mm macro lens. I have done my best to identify using the two apps I mentioned, plus corroborating with various field guides. As always, if you see an error, please let me know in the comments.

By far, the most abundant creature of the night – a May Beetle, *Diplotaxis sp.* These are the beetles that keep banging on our windows every night during the summer until we turn off our inside lights. (click photos to enlarge)

The first moth of the evening, this mohawk-adorned species is an Eastern Grass Tubeworm Moth, *Acrolophus plumifrontella*. I’m guessing this is a male since the description says the mohawk is actually a pair of elongated, recurved labial palps that the male moth holds over its head. Labial palps are paired mouthparts that act as sensory organs.

A Double-banded Grass Veneer, *Crambus agitatellus*. I love the scale details toward the rear of the wings.

A tiny Dimorphic Tosale Moth, *Tosale oviplagalis*. The posture (tip of abdomen up, wings down) is distinctive for this species.

Yellow-shouldered Slug Moth, *Lithacodes fasciola*. Another small moth with a distinctive posture. The larvae of this species have “stinging hairs” though I doubt they are painful as the caterpillars are pretty small.

Another non-moth visitor, this enormous (1.5 inches) Triceratops Beetle, *Phileurus truncatus*. Males and females have horns on their head. Larvae are believed to feed on decaying wood and the adults may be predatory on other beetle grubs.

White-roped Glaphyria Moth, *Glaphyria sesquistrialis*. Not many details online about this species other than it has a long flight period from February to November.

Walnut Caterpillar Moth, *Datana integerrima*. One of five similar-looking species of *Datana* moths in our state, the caterpillars of this one are gregarious feeders on walnut and various hickories.

Variable Reddish Pyrausta Moth, *Pyrausta rubricalis*. Named in 1796, but I could not find much at all on this species online.

One of the most common moths in our woods, the Tulip-tree Beauty, *Epimecis hortaria*. These are fairly large moths that hide in plain sight on tree trunks by day.

Another of the very cryptic moths, a Brown-shaded Gray, *Iridopsis defectaria*. This is another common species on our property. The larvae feed on a variety of hardwood tree leaves.

It is always a delight to see a beautiful Rosy Maple Moth, *Dryocampa rubicunda*. This is one of the smaller members of the Giant Silk Moth family, Saturniidae. The larvae feed on maple leaves.

A much larger (about a 4-inch wing span) Saturnid moth, a Tulip-tree Silkmoth, *Callosamia angulifera*. This guy rarely sits till for a photo, but instead flaps wildly as it bangs around on the sheet or flies into your head (it landed momentarily on one of our friends’ nose).

A showstopper at any moth event, a Luna Moth, *Actias luna*. Unfortunately, the two Luna Moths arrived after everyone had left for the evening. Larvae feed mainly on Sweetgum in our area.

A much smaller (about 1-inch wingspan) lime green moth, a Red-bordered Emerald, *Nemoria lixaria*. Larvae feed on oak leaves, one of the most important food plants for the larvae of many moth species.

Mottled Snout, *Hypena palparia*. Larvae feed on American Hornbeam and American Hop-hornbeam, both of which are found in our woods.

A Hebrew Moth, *Polygrammate hebraeicum*. The common and species name likely refer to resemblance of the pattern to characters in the Hebrew alphabet.

Decorated Owlet, *Pangrapta decoralis*. Often seen perched with wings spread. Larvae feed on blueberry plants and Sourwood.

Citrus Flatid Planthopper, *Metcalfa pruinosa*. The most common of the planthoppers found in our yard during the day, it is also attracted to lights at night.

Green Cone-headed Planthopper, *Acanalonia conica*. Another common species that feeds on a variety of herbs, shrubs, and trees.

I wasn’t sure what type of insect this was when I first saw it, but enlarging the photo on the computer and using the Seek app, it appears to be one of the Cixiid Planthoppers, *Bothriocera sp*.

A nice sampling of the nocturnal critters in our back (and front) yard and an enjoyable evening spent oohing and aahing with friends. I highly recommend it.

National Moth Week Ends

Posted on July 27, 2020 by roadsendnaturalist

I think that engaging with natural history – learning the identity and phenology of your neighbors by reading about their stories, and studying their lives alongside your own can give anyone a sense of rootedness.

~Henry Hershey

One reason I like National Moth Week so much is that it reminds me to make the effort to learn more about our little-known (and certainly under-appreciated) nocturnal neighbors. We were absent for much of this years’ event (plus evening thunderstorms hindered efforts) but we managed to set out a moth sheet and black light again last night. Visitors included several moth species new to me and a host of other night-flying insects, especially members of the beetle clan. Below are some highlights (as always, any species ID corrections are welcome)…

Common Spragueia Moth, Spragueia leo, a small bird-dropping moth (click photos to enlarge)

Another tiny moth, a Double-banded Grass-veneer, Crambus agitatellus

The adult form of one of our favorite caterpillars, the Crowned Slug Moth, Isa textula

Common Pinkband, Ogdoconta cinereola

A very small, but beautiful, Sooty Lipocosmodes, Lipocosmodes fuliginosalis

A snappy dresser, a Striped Oak Webworm, Pococera expandens

Neutral colors are in this year – Large Paectes Moth, Paectes abrostoloides

Dusky Groundling, Condica vecors

Terrenella Bee Moth, Aphomia terrenella – not much is known about this species but larvae may feed on the honeycomb and/or larvae of bees

Though simialr in appearance to others in its group, I think this is a Bicolored Angle, Macaria bicolorata

Large Mossy Glyph, Protodeltote muscosula

Dimorphic Macalla Moth, Epipaschia superatalis

The prize-winning moth of the night, a Virginia Creeper Sphinx, Darapsa myron (we both really love the sphinx moths for their beauty, patterns, and sleek design)

In addition to some cool moths, the light attracted many other critters. The most abundant (and smallest of the lot) were various species of caddisflies and the ubiquitous May Beetles (the ones that constantly pound on our windows at night). Here are some of the larger non-moth neighbors….

Several noisy cicadas (Neotibicen sp.) showed up last night

Grapevine Beetle, Pelidnota punctata

The formidable-looking Brown Prionid Beetle, Orthosoma brunneum

Several species of longhorned beetles showed up, including this Carolina Pine Sawyer, Monochamus carolinensis

A large White Oak Borer, Goes tigrinus

Another huge Eastern Hercules Beetle, Dynastes tityus, male made an appearance. These guys are like small tanks!

The fastest (and second largest) beetle of the night was this Fiery Searcher Beetle, Calosoma scrutator. These are in the caterpillar hunter group of beetles and can produce a strong musky odor and a painful bite if mishandled. Adults can live up to three years and can consume hundreds of caterpillars (including tent caterpillars and gypsy moth larvae) in their lifetime

Just because National Moth Week is over, don’t let that stop you from turning on a porch light or setting out a moth sheet to learn more about some of our amazing nocturnal neighbors.

Frills, No Frills

Posted on June 14, 2020 by roadsendnaturalist

It is almost impossible to think of something no one has thought of before, but it always possible to add different frills.

~Isaac Asimov

Friday morning when I went out the basement door to fill the bird feeders, a fuzzy blob on the window caught me eye. I leaned over and saw this strange-looking moth. It looks the way many people have during this extended time of hair salon closures – very floofy.

Frilly Grass Tubeworm on glass Acrolophus mycetophagus

The bizarre floofiness of a Frilly Grass Tubeworm Moth (click photos to enlarge)

I had seen one of these at the NC Botanical Garden once before, but never here at the house. The moth is about 1/2 inch in length, its beautifully patterned wings held tent-like over its back, and the anterior region adorned with elegantly curved “hairs”. I looked online and in my field guides and discovered it is a Frilly Grass Tubeworm Moth, Acrolophus mycetophagus. The frills are apparently extensions on the central pair of legs. I could not find any reference as to the function of these adornments, so let’s just assume it is a fashion statement of some sort.

Frilly Grass Tubeworm, Acrolophus mycetophagus

Looking down on the nice doo of this moth

Members of this group of small moths are often accessorized with extended labial palps held over their head like helmet crests or with fringed scales along the wing edges. The other trait they share is their unusual diet as larvae – most feed on decaying organic material or fungi. It turns out, the caterpillars of this frilly species feed on what seems to me to be rather unpalatable bracket fungi (shelf fungi). Its species name, mycetophagus, actually translates to “eats fungi”.

Frilly Grass Tubeworm head close up, Acrolophus mycetophagus

A close up of the frills

A few inches away on the door that morning was another, larger, moth with some distinct dark markings on its otherwise plain wings.

Deadwood borer moth, Scolecocampa liburna

Another door moth that morning – the Dead Wood Borer Moth

It has the uninspiring name of the Dead Wood Borer, Scoleococampa liburna. Larvae of this species feed in dead wood of various deciduous trees, and may, in fact be feeding on the fungi within decaying wood. So, two moths, two very different styles of dress, but a similar unusual diet. Once again, it is always amazing what you can find right outside (or on) your door.

Eclosure

Posted on June 3, 2020 by roadsendnaturalist

You do not just wake up and become the butterfly. Growth is a process.

~Rupi Kaur

Eclosure = the emergence of an insect from the pupa case, or of a larvae from the egg…

Nature is always providing examples of remarkable survival and transformation. Witnessing eclosure is one of those magical things to me (must be because of my love for all things caterpillar). I have been lucky over the years to stumble upon freshly emerged butterflies and moths in the wild a number of times. It is always a special moment to see these fragile creatures as they begin their relatively short-lived winged lives. Here are a few of my favorites over the past few years…

Luna moth just after eclosure, Jones Lake State Park (click photos to enlarge)

Red-spotted purple butterfly freshly emerged

Red-spotted Purple butterfly in our yard, hardening its wings while resting on its chrysalis

Zebra swallowtail shortly after emergence

A stunning fresh Zebra Swallowtail discovered by a summer camper at the NC Botanical Garden a few summers ago

It is thrilling to find a fresh emergence in the wild, but most of my experiences with eclosure have been with caterpillars I have raised or pupa I have found and protected. We have some mesh pop-up butterfly cages that we raise larvae and house pupae in on our screen porch. This gives them the temperature changes and humidity needed for survival. The mesh sides (and plenty of sticks in the cage) allow the newly emerged adult to climb and hang until it can pump fluids from its swollen abdomen through the wing venation to pump up the wings and allow them to harden for flight. Last year, I had a Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar create a chrysalis inside one of the chambers and overwinter. We were also given a few Cecropia Moth cocoons to rear. These have been with us since September, and, earlier this week, they all made their official entry into the world as winged beauties.

Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly with spent chrysalis in foreground

One of the best things about seeing these newly emerged butterflies and moths is being able to closely examine and photograph them as they complete their transformation. You can get details that are much more difficult to capture once they are capable of flight.

Close up of head and proboscis

The colors and patterns are at their most vibrant just after eclosure

Close up of antennae of Cecropia Moth

The amazing thing about the Cecropia Moths is that they all emerged on the same night. We released 4 of the 6 the first night, but kept two that were mating, releasing them the following evening.

North America’s largest native moth (wingspan up to 7 inches) just after release

The female laid several patches of eggs inside the chamber so we now will have a bunch of hungry mandibles to feed in the coming weeks. I can’t think of a better summer pastime…

The next generation

Moth Jets

Posted on September 17, 2019 by roadsendnaturalist

If you examine a butterfly according to the laws of aerodynamics, it shouldn’t be able to fly. But the butterfly doesn’t know that, so it flies.

~Howard Schultz

I’m not sure anyone could use that quote when describing the sphinx moths. They certainly look like they were made to fly and I have always been intrigued by their streamlined shapes. Last year, I managed to photograph the green beauty known as a Pandorus Sphinx, Eumorpha pandorus. It had come to a light along our breezeway at work.

Pandorus Sphinx Moth (click photos to enlarge)

The unique wing shape, colors, and pattern are very eye-catching and make this large moth look as though someone designed it for both fashion and night-time flight.

Last week we had a chance encounter (while grilling after dark) with another of the fighter jets of the moth world. This time it was the stunning Tersa Sphinx, Xylophanes tersa. The genus name combines the Greek words xylon meaning “wood” and phanes meaning “to appear” or “appear to be.” Indeed, the wings and body of this moth look like exquisite wood veneer.

Tersa Sphinx

The larvae feed on weeds in your yard such as Madder, Poor Joe, and Virginia Buttonweed. I found one last year in our yard on Diodia teres (Poor Joe) and the caterpillar is also quite appealing to the eye.

Tersa Sphinx caterpillar

I still have a few of these moth jets I want to see (the Abbott’s, Virginia Creeper, Hydrangea, and Azalea Sphinx’s to name a few), so I’ll keep looking around lights and setting out my moth sheets every summer. I suppose my bucket list actually is a bit different than most…

Moth Week Plus

Posted on July 29, 2019 by roadsendnaturalist

I’ve always preferred moths to butterflies. They aren’t flashy or cocky; they mind their own business and just try to blend in with their surroundings and live their lives.

~Kayla Krantz

National Moth Week ended yesterday and I managed to miss most of it for a variety of lame reasons. But, even though I failed to put out my moth light (which is at work for summer camp use), I did manage to find some cool moths hanging out at lights or ones I flushed from their hiding place as I went about my work. With your permission, I’m going to cheat a little and present a few that I photographed outside the official moth week window. The group includes several that are new to me and several that meant more because I have photographed their larval forms in the past. So, get outside and look around, the beauty and variety of moths is astounding!

I found several large sphinx moths (most sphinx larvae are known as hornworms due to a prominent tail spike). They are the fighter jets in the moth world, typically with a sleek shape and rapid flight.

Plebian sphinx, Paratrea plebeja (also known as the trumpet vine sphinx) (click photos to enlarge)

Pawpaw sphinx, Dolba hyloeus

Rustic sphinx, Manduca rustica

It was also a good week for the underwings, so named because they tend to have bright colors on their hind wings that are only revealed when they open their forewings (this may serve as a predator avoidance aid when flashed).

Clouded underwing, Catocala nebulosa

Ilia underwing, Catocala ilia (also known as Beloved underwing or Wife underwing – photographed on tree trunk to show their wonderful camouflage)

Penitent underwing, Catocala piatrix

Saddled prominent moth, Heterocampa guttivitta

It was a good week for little green moths…

Red-fringed emerald, Nemoria bistriaria

Red-bordered emerald, Nemoria lixaria

Bad-wing moth, Dyspteris abortivaria (love this name)

Spun glass slug moth, Isochaetes beutenmuelleri (I really want to find this one’s caterpillar – look it up and you’ll see why)

Ailanthus webworm moth, Atteva aurea, a colorful day-flying moth, often seen pollinating various wildflowers

Rosy maple moth, Dryocampa rubicunda, one of our most beautiful, and common, moths

Gray-banded OR Oblique zale, Zale sp.

Brown-shaded gray, Iridopsis defectaria

Maple zale moth, Zale galbanata

Plain Plume Moth, Hellinsia homodactylus (the plume moths are among the strangest looking moths!)

The biggest surprise was a rather innocuous-looking little moth found outside one of the entryways to the office. As is often the case, a close-up image showed some beautiful patterns and subtle colors that I might have otherwise missed. But the shocker came when I identified it and saw its name – Wasp Parasitizer. That’s right, this little moth lays its eggs on paper wasp nests and its larvae consume the larvae and pupae of the wasps! The natural world, literally just outside our doors, is truly amazing.

Wasp parasitizer, Chalcoela pegasalis

Seek, and Ye Shall Find

Posted on June 30, 2019 by roadsendnaturalist

The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their proper name.

~Confuscius

This past month, I have tried to find 5 or 10 minutes each day at work to walk around the building breezeways to photograph any moths that were attracted to the lights the previous night. I hope to create a library of images of some of the common species. As I have reported before, I am relatively new to “mothing” and am still struggling to learn some of the more than 2600 reported species in NC. The release of the Peterson Field Guide to the Moths of Southeastern North America last year has made a huge difference in my ability to identify what I find. My copy is already showing signs of wear from the frequent page-flipping. I also refer to the Moths of North Carolina or Bug Guide web sites to confirm an identification.

Now I have another ally in my quest to learn more. It may be a game-changer, in fact. It is the Seek app by iNaturalist. Using the millions of observations on iNaturalist, Seek shows you lists of commonly recorded insects, birds, plants, amphibians, and more in your area. You don’t even need to take a photo, just open the camera and scan whatever you want to know more about. It instantly gives you information, and if it can’t ID it, it may suggest looking at the subject from a different angle. It is usually at least gets you to the family level or beyond even if it doesn’t ID to species. This free app is available for both iOS and Android. I have found it to be particularly useful for moth identification, most likely due to the countless recorded observations of several local moth enthusiasts. In order to get the best possible image, I usually take the photo with my normal camera set-up (100mm macro and twin flash), download the image onto my laptop, and then scan it with my phone and the Seek app for ID help.

I have double-checked many of the early identifications using the other references mentioned and found them to be accurate. A few times, Seek has not been able to provide anything but a family recommendation. But, overall, I have been very impressed with the results thus far.

Here are a few of the highlights from this past month. Note the variety of shapes, colors, and patterns. One thing you can’t tell from these images is the huge range in size – the Common Tan Wave has a wing span of about 20mm while that of the Io moth is about 80mm.

Canadian Melanolophia moth, Melanolophia canadaria 1

Canadian Melanolophia moth, Melanolophia canadaria (click photos to enlarge)

Confused Eusarca, Eusarca confusaria

Black-dotted ruddy moth, Ilexia intractata

Common tan wave, Pleuropucha insulsaria

Baltimore snout, Hypena baltimoralis – one of the more striking species this month

Delicate Cycnia moth, Cycnia tenera

Dark-spotted Palthis moth, Palthis angulalis

Ambiguous moth, Lascoria ambigualis

Curved-line angle, Digrammia continuata

Ironweed root moth, Polygammodes flavidalis – a delicate beauty with hints of iridescence

One-spotted variant, Hypagyrtis unipunctata

One-spotted variant moth, Hypagyrtis unipunctata – quite variable indeed

Tulip-tree beauty, Epimecis hortaria – a common bark mimic

White-marked tussock moth, Orgyia leucostigma

Eastern grass tubeworm moth, Acrolophus plumifrontella 3

Eastern grass tubeworm moth, Acrolophus plumifrontella – a very common species right now

Variable oakleaf caterpillar moth, Lochmaeus manteo

Oblique-banded leafroller moth, Choristoneura rosaceana

Southern flannel moth, Megalopyge opercularis – this is the adult form of the puss moth caterpillar

Juniper twig geometer, Patalene olyzonaria

Juniper geometer moth, Patalene olyzonaria

Large maple spanworm moth, Prochoerodes lineola

Large maple spanworm moth, Prochoroedes lineata

Io moth, Automeris io – a large female

Io moth, Automeris io, with wings spread to reveal the false eye spots

Mothing, Part 2

Posted on September 3, 2018 by roadsendnaturalist

Look closely. The beautiful may be small.

~Immanuel Kant

The last post had some recognizable moths, some big ones, some brightly colored ones. But countless moths are frustratingly small (when you are trying to identify them), and many are, at least at first glance, LBT’s (little brown things). But the magic of a macro lens is that it brings out their beauty once you enlarge them on your screen, making it somewhat easier to flip through the pages of a field guide until you find one that is similar. Yet they are all beautiful in their own way and worthy of our attention and appreciation. Once again, if I have made an ID error, I welcome comments and corrections.

Here are some of the littler ones that came to the moth light. I love the variation in shape, colors, and patterns of these tiny night-time visitors.

Orange-tufted Oneida, Oneida lunulalis (click photos to enlarge)

Black-marked Inga, Inga sparsiciliella

Redbud leaffolder, Fascista cercerisella (the diminutive black and white larvae fold the leaves of redbud)

Olive Arta, Arta olivalis (this little moth seems to be standing at attention)

Suzuki’s Promalactis Moth, Promalactis suzukiella (this tiny moth was not in my Peterson Field Guide to Moths of the SE U.S.; introduced from East Asia)

Bent-line Carpet, Costaconvexa centrostrigaria

Bent-line Gray, Iridopsis larvaria

Common Angle, Macaria aemulataria (the description says this moth has dark markings on its forewings that resemble paw prints)

Brown Panopoda, Panopoda carneicosta

Curved-tooth Geometer Moth, Eutrapela clemataria

Dead-wood Borer Moth, Scolecocampa liburna (larvae bore into dead logs/stumps of hardwoods)

Deep Yellow Euchlaena, Euchlaena amoenaria

Faint-spotted Palthis, Palthis asopialis

Major Datana, Datana major (this group is difficult for me to separate, so this may be one of the other Datana species – they all look very pettable)

Oblique-banded Leafroller, male - Choristoneura rosaceana

Oblique-banded Leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana (this one looks like a stocky person wearing a cape)

Garden Tortrix Moth, Clepsis peritana (another “caped” moth)

Planthopper, Flataloides scabrosus (this one fooled me, I thought it was related to the two moths above, but a closer look showed it did not have moth antennae and is instead a very weird planthopper – thanks to Steve Hall for the ID)

Changeable Grass-Veneer, Fissicrambus mutabilis (one of the group that always rests head down)

Beautiful Wood Nymph, Eudryas grata (Adults perch with their fuzzy forelegs splayed outward)

Beautiful Wood Nymph, Eudryas grata (A truly beautiful and unusual moth – when disturbed they drop to the ground as if dead)

Mothing, Part 1

Posted on August 31, 2018 by roadsendnaturalist

…to understand something of the wonders of a world which becomes the more wonderful the more we know of it.

~W.J. Holland, in The Moth Book, 1903

A sample of moths (and some other wee beast) attracted to my black light (click photos to enlarge)

I set out my moth light for two nights a little over a week ago to see what species might drop by here at the house. Melissa and I gave a moth program at work the week before that and, though we didn’t get a tremendous number of moths that night (in part, due to the early hours for families), it did reignite my moth fever. One night I put the sheet on the clothesline out the basement door. The second night I strung it up on the back deck outside the living room. Both nights I turned outside lights on in addition to having a black light set up next to a cotton sheet. I checked the lights from sunset until about 12:30 p.m. both nights. Things started slow and peaked between 11 p.m. and midnight.

The thing I find so fascinating about moths is their diversity and beauty when you actually take the time to look at them. Many are, at first glance, just brown nondescript bugs, seemingly impossible to tell apart. But a closer look, and their colors and patterns are incredible. I do find them very challenging to identify, but there are a host of online resources that can really help. Among my favorites are: Moths of North Carolina, Bug Guide, Butterflies and Moths of North America, and the North American Moth Photographers Group.

But the real game-changer for me was the publication last spring of the Peterson Field Guide to Moths of the Southeastern North America. I had purchased their guide to moths of the northeast when it came out a couple of years ago and it had been helpful, but, obviously, not comprehensive for our region. But my copy of the new guide is already showing signs of wear as I have flipped through its pages countless times searching for a species new to me at the lights at home or at work. The challenge in moth identification is looking for key characteristics. A look at the online resources for any one species reveals the amazing variation between individuals of some species. And, of course, the printed field guide has space for only the most common variety (generally only one picture is chosen to represent an entire species’ variability). So, having said that, I have done my best (along with Melissa’s help) to identify these to species, but there is a chance some may be misidentified. If anyone catches a mistake, please share in the comments section.

Below are some of the larger moths (those approximately an inch or more in length) that came to the lights. More of the smaller ones will be shared in my next post.

How many of these have you seen?

I love the pattern and colors of this moth. It is either a Banded Tussock or a Sycamore Tussock Moth (Halysidota tesselaris/harrisii). They are apparently very difficult to tell apart, and both caterpillar species are common here.

One of the more common species at the sheet was the beautiful Rosy Maple Moth, Dryocampa rubicunda.

Always happy to see a Luna Moth, Actias luna.

There are other green guys out there – like this Angle-winged Emerald, Chloropteryx tepperaria.

Red-spotted Emerald, Nemoria saturiba.

Drab Prominent, Misogada unicolor.

Something appears to be wrong with the wings of this Mottled Prominent, Macrurocampa marthesia.

White-blotched Heterocampa, Heterocampa umbrata.

Love the shoulder pattern on this Oval-based Prominent, Peridea basitriens.

Moth common names are fascinating, like this one – The Laugher, Charadra deridens.

The Hebrew, Polygrammate hebraeicum, so-named because the black markings somewhat resemble Hebrew script.

False Underwing, Allotria elonympha.

Mountain Mothing

Posted on July 29, 2015 by roadsendnaturalist

It is looking at things for a long time that ripens you and gives you a deeper meaning.

~ Vincent van Gogh

If Van Gogh is correct, then I am ripe and have found deeper meaning, at least as far as mothing is concerned. On the final night of National Moth Week, 2015, I set up the moth light on a farm gate at my parents’ home in the mountains of southwest Virginia. The habitat is very different from where I live. Besides being near the mountains and a river running out back, there is a lot more open ground than I have in my Chatham County woods. In fact, it is mostly open pasture that Dad mows for hay twice each summer. I set the UV light and sheet up along a line of trees that separates their lawn from the pasture. I really wasn’t expecting the kind of diversity I saw in my wooded yard, but wasn’t really sure what might attend the moth party.

Mayfly (click photos to enlarge)

As I had anticipated, the nearby river provided plenty of insects that spend part (or most) of their lives in the river. Several Caddisflies and numerous white Mayflies were early arrivals at the party. I was hoping for some Dobsonflies, but they were no-shows. The first couple of visits to the light showed that I was probably correct – the moth diversity, at least of those large enough for me to even attempt to identify, was much less than in the woods at home. But, there were some beetles and lots of tiny flies, and what looked like very small wasps.

Double-banded Grass-veneer – Crambus agitatellus

There were also plenty of small moths, some of which turned out to be quite beautiful (or strange, depending on your perspective I suppose) when you take a closer look. Not surprisingly, almost all the ones I could identify are found primarily in grassy habitats, and their larvae feed on grasses. The name of one group reflects that – the Grass-veneer moths. I suppose the veneer part of the name comes from their habit of tightly clinging to grasses (usually the underside) during the day, making them tough to find unless you flush them out as you walk.

Elegant Grass-veneer – Microcrambus elegans

One Elegant Grass-veneer perched on my tripod next to one of the small bolts. That bolt is probably less than a half inch across so that gives you some idea of the small size of this individual. They are also distinctive in that this group tends to have long labial pals, giving them a snout-like appearance. The palps presumably function as sensory receptors of some sort.

Below are a few other species I was able to tentatively identify by flipping through my field guide and online resources. As always, any confirmations or corrections are welcome as this beginning moth-er finds it challenging.

Snowy Urola – Urola nivalis

Clover Looper – Caenurgina crassiuscula

Common Gray – Anavitrinella pampinaria?

Delicate Cycnia – Cycnia tenera – with a hitchhiker (a small midge perhaps?)

On my last check of the sheet that night, there was a new grou of moths represented – the Tiger Moths. There were at least 6 of these boldly pattered, medium-sized moths on the sheet. I recognized the group but when I started to try to identify to species i was amazed at how similar some of them are. So much so that Bug Guide let me off the hook in trying to nail down a species identification with this statement about the difficulty of identifying some related species in this group…The only full-proof method is dissection and examination of genitalia.

Nais Tiger Moth – Apantesis nais ?

Nais Tiger Moth – Apantesis nais – showing underwings that help in identification

Well, then, Vincent, time to call it a night I suppose. I am not sure I am that ripe or looking for that deep of a meaning quite yet.

Roads End Naturalist

Educating myself and others about the natural world as I wander and ponder at road's end.

Tag Archives: moths

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National Moth Week Ends

Frills, No Frills

Eclosure

Moth Jets

Moth Week Plus

Seek, and Ye Shall Find

Mothing, Part 2

Mothing, Part 1

Mountain Mothing

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