Catocala Season 2014

[Deleted]

I collected the first one of the season this morning. Has anyone else collected any this year?

[beetlehorn]

Yes. So far I have encountered Catocala ultronia,C. amica, C. epione, C. minuta, C. micronympha, C. ilia, C. coccinata, C. connubialis, and C. dejecta. The season is a bit late, but it was the same last year.

[Deleted]

Beetlehorn,

Great to hear the Catocala emergence is under way. Since U are farther south than me I figure in a couple of weeks I should be seeing a lot more. Have you collected any Automeris io? I have collected one male and that's it.

Joe

[leptraps]

I have collected 4 species in a Bait Trap in my yard in Georgetown, KY.

Catocala gracilis
Catocala minuta
Catocala clintoni
Catocala illecta

In the Pine Barrens of Harrison County, Indiana I have collect 8 species in Bait Traps and Light Traps.

Catocala coccinata
Catocala ilia
Catocala junctura (Somewhat early)
Catocala palaeogama
Catocala innubens (Several dark forms)
Catocala grynea
Catocala mycronympha (Unbelievably abundant in both Bait Traps and Light Traps)
Catocala sordida

I have seen no black Catocala yet. I went tree tapping yesterday with little success.

I have several great locations in Franklin County, Kentucky and have yet to see my first Catocala moth.

I also set out four more Bait Traps in Henderson County, Kentucky. This is a little collected area. However, Catocala marmorata has been taken there several times during field meeting of the Society of Kentucky Lepidpterists. In 2013 four specimens were collected.

The season is a little late.

[Deleted]

It sounds like that brutal winter we had caused everything to be a little behind. Maybe we can hope for a warmer than usual fall and it will make up for the lost time in the spring.

[boghaunter1]

Wow....early dates to me! Here in NE Sask.,Canada, Catocala normally don't start appearing until very late July/ early Aug.! Polyphemus moths & a few sphinx moths are f-i-n-a-l-l-y starting to appear here... extremely late, cold season here & now all June nothing but more cold temps & yet more rain...

[Deleted]

Boghaunter1,
Hate to hear it. This past winter was bad and it sounds like its still not over for you. I saw on Yahoo that there are still icebergs on the great lakes. That's 300 miles north of me. I hope it warms up enough for you to have a collecting season at all before winter comes again.

Joe

[oehlkew]

Hi All,
Very cold winter and cool wet spring has delayed season a bit here on PEI in eastern Canada.
I am seeing some Saturniidae (cecropia and polyphemus) at lights, and some of the early Sphingidae (cerisyi, modesta, undulosa). We are supposed to have a week of sunshine and warmer temperatures this coming week, but it probably won't be until mid July that I begin to see Catocala at roof top light.

leptraps: I have updated my Indiana and Kentucky Catocala pages with your sightings/captures. Hope that is okay?
If not, I will remove the reports at
www.silkmoths.bizland.com/Indianacatocala.htm and
www.silkmoths.bizland.com/Kentuckycatocala.htm

Sometimes my ftp uploads take half an hour or so before appearing on site, so it may be a little while before the updated pages with the data appear.

Happy hunting to all.
Bill Oehlke

[Deleted]

I made a banana,samuel adams and brown sugar catocala smoothie yesterday and sugared the trees in my yard with it. I collected exactly one catocala off this mixture. Maybe they don't like Samuel Adams winter lager as much as I do.

[leptraps]

I collected the following species in a Bait Trap in my yard in Georgetown, Kentucky this week (21 to 28 June):

Catocala ultronia
Catocala minuta
Catocala dejecta
Catocala innubens
and a Catocala look-a-like: Euparthenos nubilis. (There were at least a dozen in the trap and several on the trunks of surrounding tree.)

I collected the following species in Bait Traps in Harrison, Indiana this week (21 to 28 June):

Catocala amatrix
Catocala ilia
Catocala ultronia
Catocala junctura
Catocala palaeogama

However, the bait traps in Perry County, Indiana contained only Catocala ilia. Although there was a very nice surprise in several of the traps: Anaea andria. They were in perfect condition.

[Deleted]

Mr. Koehn,

If we were in a collecting contest I would definitely be losing! I have collected two Catocala specimens so far and the few leafwings (about 3) I managed to collect were so damaged that I did not keep them.

Joe

[leptraps]

I am using Bait Traps. By your post, I assume you are baiting trees. I have 6 bait traps in Harrison County, Indiana and 4 in Perry County, Indiana. I also have 4 in Owen County, Kentucky, 2 in Scott County, Kentucky and 1 in Whitley County, Kentucky.

The Bait Trap in Whitley and 2 in Perry County, Indiana are Kill Type Bait Traps. All of the others are either Flat Bottom or Slotted Pan type.

I like the Kill Type as I only check the every third or fourth day. I cannot count the tens of thousands of flies I have killed. The Kill Type does not take many beetles, which is a good thing.

[Deleted]

You are correct in your assumption. I am sugaring trees and running a light sheet when its not raining. I also collect beetles so the light sheet works out well for me. This year I have collected more Actias luna than I have ever seen.

Joe

[multicaudata]

I was in Nebraska, Missouri, and Arkansas this past week and found Catocala abundant just about everywhere; got C. junctura, ilia, micronympha, amica, nuptialis, illecta, andromedae, and a large black one I can't identify. Saw but could not catch (fist shake...) an ultronia and a cara/carissima type... Quite a trip for a Westerner used to not even finding this many species in an entire season!

[Deleted]

Multicaudata,

Wow! It's good to hear you had such a successful collecting trip. I have only 3 catocala specimens so far. I am not hunting them exclusively though. Did u black light, sugar or tree tap for them?

Joe