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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2016 11:04:12 GMT -8
Been to eastern TN once again and did great. Went to nearly the top of a mountain at 5000 ft. with my buddy Eric S. It was rainy with lots of fog rolling, but the Catocalas were flying big time. I was mostly there for two sphinxes, but then a C. marmorata flew in and I noticed it because it was bigger and flew differently than the other cats. Soon after, it landed just by my truck and I got it.....July 5. Now my friend Eric has caught these before and generously shared with me, but I honestly never thought I'd see one, let alone catch one. Also, the time of the year was months before Eric starts seeing his at his honey hole for marmorata. This was a total surprise for both of us. Eric now knows two spots where these rare moths fly. I honestly feel like I do when I've caught moths like T. zenobia in IL......this marmorata is one of my prizes and I thank Eric for assisting me.
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Post by johnnyboy on Jul 8, 2016 2:11:16 GMT -8
Bill,
A beautiful moth, lovely forewings as well as hind wings - congratulations! Here in the UK we used to have the blue underwing, Catocola fraxini breeding in the SE of England. I have one specimen from here, caught in the early 1950s, plus one captive bred specimen. Nowadays only occasionaly breeds here.
Johnny
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Post by rayrard on Jul 8, 2016 13:13:30 GMT -8
I see a just as cool moth under that... Darapsa versicolor. But yeah marmorata is up with sappho for me for Cats I will not see in the northeast but would love to catch.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2016 17:39:16 GMT -8
Ditto on the sappho
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Post by beetlehorn on Jul 9, 2016 6:06:19 GMT -8
Great Catch Bill! Congratulations! I have collected many species of Catocala, (which most members on this forum know already), but I have yet to encounter C. marmorata). I'm glad you have a good trip. Wish I could have been there when you got that moth.
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Post by jhyatt on Jul 9, 2016 6:40:24 GMT -8
Bill,
That marmorata is indeed the find of a lifetime! I don't understand it being out at this time of year. I guess I have to attribute it to the presence of Eric, who seems to have some weird affinity for the things.
Jtaylor, don't feel too bad about missing sappho. I collect the deep south a lot and have never found one. In early June (peak Catocala season there) I found an old pecan planting on Sapelo Island, GA. I put a bait trap at one end, a light trap at the other, and went to bed wondering whether I had a unit tray big enough to hold the series of sappho I was sure to get. Typically, I found not a one. The traps filled up with micronympha, muliercula, and the other usual suspects.
Cheers, John Hyatt
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Post by beetlehorn on Jul 9, 2016 7:15:40 GMT -8
In regards to Catocala sappho, I tend to think they actually feed on a variety of Hickories, which Pecan trees are a member of. I encounter this species each year, although not very commonly, where there are good numbers of Hickories in hardwood stands. One night last year I found four on my sheet, they came in after 11:30 to midnight. This was the most I ever collected at one time. I have also encountered them on tree trunks during the day.
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Post by joee30 on Jul 9, 2016 12:41:36 GMT -8
Tom is right about this. I went collecting with him a couple of times, and missed one the was sitting high on a hickory.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2016 14:03:12 GMT -8
jhyatt,
Yep.......that bug and Eric are indeed special. He is one of a very few who've collected it regularly and now knows of two spots where they fly. I have long desired to catch that moth, but accepted the fact I probably wouldn't. That was a magical night for sure. It took me hours to settle down....if u know what I mean.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2016 14:36:35 GMT -8
C. sappho is supposed to occur in Illinois but, I am not real sure it's here. If someone had a specimen they collected here I'd like to hear about it
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Post by joee30 on Jul 9, 2016 16:49:35 GMT -8
Do you have Hickory or mixed Hickory woodland around your area?
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Post by jhyatt on Jul 9, 2016 17:34:53 GMT -8
Tom and Joee30, that makes sense about sappho feeding on a variety of hickories. Pecan is certainly the one most mentioned in the literature. At any rate, we have plenty of hickory of various sorts here in the mountains of east Tennessee, but I've never found the bug. It may not fly at this elevation, anyway. Maybe I'll get out Tom's way some year and seek them there. Howard Grisham says he gets them fairly regularly in northern Alabama, too. My Georgia sea level collecting spots have some hickories other than pecans, but no sappho so far. I'll just keep trying, and in the meantime try to keep satisfied catching S. diana in the back yard.
Cheers, jh
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Post by joee30 on Jul 9, 2016 17:41:59 GMT -8
You will get em, Mr. Hyatt! I am going to keep my eyes open for them here in Nevada, and on my trip to AZ in a couple of weeks. Sadly, seems like the issues I've been having with my right ankle is getting worse, so I go out when I'm not in major pain.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2016 18:10:30 GMT -8
I have hickory trees in my yard and in the woods behind my house.
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Post by joee30 on Jul 9, 2016 18:27:27 GMT -8
I made the mistake that I put that I was going to find C. sappho here in the West where it doesn't occur. Lol I meant looking for Catocalas.
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