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Post by rayrard on Aug 14, 2014 9:04:29 GMT -8
Any ID's or pictures of these catches?
My last light and bait was a total bust as it was cool and a full moon this past weekend.
These cool nights are annoying... does anyone have luck on cooler nights for Cats?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2014 16:32:28 GMT -8
One is C.Epione I have not identified the other. No pics. Too early in the morning for brain/camera to work.
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Post by beetlehorn on Aug 15, 2014 4:32:15 GMT -8
During the full moon phase and just before, I didn't use my light/sheet setup, but I did manage to collect some specimens of Catocala cara, Catocala carissima, and Catocala amatrix by checking under bridges during the day. I noticed these moths were present wherever willow and poplar trees grow. If there is a bridge in close proximity to the foodplants, it is well worth checking out.
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Post by rayrard on Aug 15, 2014 8:01:24 GMT -8
Does it have to be hot or rainy outside, or are they hiding there in all conditions?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2014 14:43:23 GMT -8
I have ran my light sheet during a full moon many times. The only drawback is you will collect fewer specimens as compaired to when its a new or small crescent moon but you will still collect some. I don't let the phase of moon stop me only rain.
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Aug 15, 2014 17:13:44 GMT -8
I have set out 16 Bait Traps in Kentucky earlier this week(Meade, Scott, Franklin, Woodford, Owen and Bourbon counties). I checked the three traps in Meade County, all in Prairie habitat and one in edge of an "old" forest.
I collected about 200+ Catocala moths
Most abundant:
Catocala ilia Catocala piatrix Catocala epione Catocala innubens Catocala amatrix Catocala coccinata Catocala palaeogama Catocala nebulosa
Some not so abundant:
Catocala robinsoni Catocala flebilis Catocala angusi Catocala residua Catocala retecta
Just four or five:
Catocala habilis Catocala dejecta Catocala subnata Catocala insolabilis Catocala neogama Catocala cara Catocala obscura
Only one or two:
Catocala vidua Catocala cerogama Catocala lacrymosa
I have seven specimens that are UFO's. They are forms of something I am sure. I will figure that out when I mount them.
For me, it has been a great year for Catocala.
I will set out more traps tomorrow in Southern Indiana (Harrison & Perry Counties) and check my other traps. I may attempt a trip to the Henderson Sloughs in Henderson County, KY to set out traps for Catocala marmorata. I will be up till 2AM mounting Catocala moths.
It is a tuff life but some one must suffer...............
Also, I collected several large reddish longhorn beetles in one bait trap. One of the buggers bit me. What species is reddish.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2014 18:42:30 GMT -8
Leptraps, The beetle that got you was most likely a pine sawyer.
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Post by rayrard on Aug 15, 2014 19:11:39 GMT -8
leptraps: do you have any observations about the conditions that are best for Catocala. I know you put out traps that catch over many days, but I have been doing poorly at getting them at bait (almost nil) and nights have been off and on at light. I even baited and lighted in the exact area that I saw 100+ during the day tapping trees, and saw only TWO that night.
Is it truly hit and miss or are there conditions that are most ideal for them?
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Aug 16, 2014 5:37:25 GMT -8
I use traps rather than stay up all night trying to bait for Catocala moths. And, I was never real good at baiting trees. This I do know. Hot dry weather is best for bait traps. When it is dry, moisture is scarce and Lepidoptera will come to bait. I use natural baits. Fruit, sugar and water. Fermentation is natural. If you use any type of booze or beer, it will eventually turn to vinager. I set the traps in flyways, especially along small streams. The edges of Power Line Cuts and Gas Line Right-of-Ways are also some of the most productive. I get the bottom of the trap up above my head. Never much higher then 10 feet. Keep the bait juicy. I leave a plastic spoon in the bait container of the trap. I add water and stir the bait up. The bait will be very effective for 5 or 6 days. Then I replace the bait. Keep the trap clean, remove anything that is entrapped, even little flies. Raid works real good for getting the wasp and hornets. However, keep the bait juicy. If I set a trap and little finds it, I relocate them. And one last tip. Always have the trap facing the setting sun. Cannot explain that but I get more in traps when the setting sun hits them. The trap above was set along a dry creek drainage in Owen County, Kentucky. A swarm of Astrocampa celtis are not unusual. The Black Witch, a large female, was a pleasant surprise. This slotted Pan type trap, not a great photo, has about 25 Catocala moths. While you were out checking lights and bait, I was home mounting Catocala moths and eating cheese cake.
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Post by joee30 on Aug 16, 2014 17:40:04 GMT -8
You guy's are fortunate to have a late, yet decent season going. Here in Nevada, I have seen a couple Cat's flying while heading to work or school. Figure since they are decent sized, they are either irene or ahobilah. Missed a very nice cat at Sagehen Creek a week ago, but did fair with geometrids and noctuids at the lights. Tried butterfly collecting, but it's been a weird year here.
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Post by rayrard on Aug 17, 2014 12:33:53 GMT -8
Went to the upstate and got around two dozen Catocala. It was near 60 degrees F the whole time (with a front coming) but the light and bait actually BOTH worked for once (bait for the first time this season). Had a grail species (concumbens) and another new species for me. Catocala ilia - 5-6 C. palaeogama - 2 C. retecta - 1 C. concumbens - 1 C. sordida - 4 C. gracilis - 3 C. gryneus - 1 C. andromedae - 2 C. lineella - 1 C. serena - 1
Had a trickle of specimens at bait until around 11:30-12:00, when there was a burst of action at the light and I got most of the species between 11-12. I didn't even bait the best area as I baited a trail to a bog and it was hemlock/pine/spruce dominated. The area along the main road was hickory/oak and would have been interesting had I been there earlier in the day to check the area.
I will go back and check it out another day.
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Aug 18, 2014 7:29:33 GMT -8
I checked my Bait Traps in Owen, Franklin and Scott Counties in Kentucky this AM. There was not much in any of them. I had total of 28 Catocala. It has rained since late Saturday afternoon and most of the Bait was flooded.
I set out two Light Traps near a remnant prairie. Lots of moths, very few Catocala. I did collect several very nice Schinia moths including Schinia florida and Schinia nundina in one trap. The other trap had several very large Long Horn Beetles (A dozen or more) which escaped the beetle cup and damaged many of the moths.
I will leave shortly for Henderson County to set out 6 or 7 Bait Traps in the Sloughs WMA for Catocala marmorata.
I also found a male of Sphinx drupiferarum at the light of a gas station this AM. I have not seen this moth in orver 20 years. And, the first one I have collected in Kentucky.
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Post by rayrard on Aug 18, 2014 8:38:46 GMT -8
Went to a place like 15 minutes from my house and had additional luck with bait and light. There was a magic switch in the last week that suddenly made bait start working again. Maybe the cooler and dryer temps? The season seems to be later than last year with Catocala cara and cerogama not seen yet (but frequent by mid-August at bait last year) and C. epione still flying (not seen in mid August or later last year) Catocala epione - 2 (on bait very early, around 8:30-8:45) C. palaeogama - 4-5 (at least two ovipositing) C ilia - 2 C. retecta - 6+ (4 on sheet in one short period) C. vidua - 1 C. obscura - 1 C. residua - 4 (very charcoal gray and dull hindwings) C. amica - 6+ C. linella - 2
Saw other "flutterers" in the open and a few that didn't give me good looks at bait and escaped the jar. Again, I had one palaeogama and a few amica camped out at the blacklight for a couple hours and then at around 11:30, I got a burst of activity where I had 5 retecta, 1 palaeogama, and a couple residua come to the sheet within an hour span, before dying off at 12:30.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 20, 2014 1:53:17 GMT -8
Collected my usual two off the sheet this morning.
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Post by boghaunter1 on Aug 20, 2014 11:39:46 GMT -8
Update! Update!.... Barely worth reporting... 1 worn specimen each of C. relicta & C. semirelicta in my light traps this morning... grand total (with 1 C. blandula on 07 Aug.) of only 3 specimens of 3 spp. up to this date 20 Aug. I have never experienced such a pathetic Catocala season, ever, here in NE Sask.. We just came through a long hot spell the last 3 wks., with no rain, & no Catocalas... I also tried sugar bait a few nights in the past few wks.... not a single Catocala... Yeesch!
John K.
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