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Post by trehopr1 on Sept 11, 2020 18:13:09 GMT -8
My specimen photo's requesting ID's have been appropriately given due credit.
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Post by bugboys3 on Sept 19, 2020 6:31:09 GMT -8
The Catocala season is over for me in Southern Wisconsin. It was a very good year. I believe I collected 25 species from my bait trap in the back yard. Species of note were C. paleogama form phalanga, C. innubens form scintillans, C. angusi (3rd recorded specimen in Wisconsin) and C. maestosa, another rare species for Wisconsin. Top to bottom: C. angusi C. paleogama form phalanga C. maestosa C. subnata (biggest one I have collected)
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Post by rayrard on Sept 19, 2020 9:07:37 GMT -8
that's a big subnata to dwarf a maestosa!
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Post by exoticimports on Sept 24, 2020 6:57:29 GMT -8
After four weeks of miserable weather, we've had a break! Nights were 35F, now 55F yesterday.
About a dozen catocala at the MV, consisting of five or six species (haven't made any determinations yet.)
But at least there is a last hurrah.
Chuck
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Sept 24, 2020 7:10:41 GMT -8
I check my Bait Traps at Killdeer Plains WA yesterday. I put at least 26 Catocala moths in Killing Jars. I set out four Light Traps and headed for the barn.
Was up and gone to Killdeer Plains WA by 5AM. I collected another dozen Catocala from the Bait Traps. I let most of them fly. The Light Traps were loaded. I have at least 70+ specimens of Papaepema moths and several Lithophane and Seraglaea moths plus numerous Noctuidae. I will be mounting moths for several days.
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Post by rayrard on Sept 24, 2020 20:31:33 GMT -8
Went lighting the last two nights and ZERO Cats. I can't think they are done for the season as I usually see them flying into October.
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Post by rayrard on Sept 29, 2020 10:20:15 GMT -8
Had 1 cerogama upstate and 1 cara last night. The cold spell must have had a toll.
Papaipema season has been OK. The usual species but only cerussata has been new for me.
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Oct 1, 2020 6:09:46 GMT -8
The low temperature last night at Grand River WA (Astabula County) was a balmy 42° degrees. No Catocala and only three species of Papaipema.
The 10 day forcast does no look good for collecting moths.
I have decided to leave my Bait Traps out until four or five days before the opening day of the Hunting Season.
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Post by rayrard on Oct 1, 2020 20:48:15 GMT -8
Had an 11th hour piatrix on a bait trail just flying about. No other Catocala, but the usual Platypolia and Sunira on bait. The piatrix is #41 for the year and it was still nice looking!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2020 18:27:56 GMT -8
Hey you all, I caught the lower moth a few years back here in northern IL and have always thought it was a melanic coccinata. The FWs patterning is similar to the above moth, but the HW inner black bar is reduced a bit and tapers off drastically instead of the usual coccinata HW above. What is your opinion of what it might be?
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Post by trehopr1 on Oct 17, 2020 10:48:51 GMT -8
Though catocala season has wrapped up I still love these moths so, periodically I will post photo's of some of my cat's or curious observations that I may make of my specimens (whilst enjoying their myriad beauty). Below, I offer up in triplicate that lovely species we know as the Clouded Underwing (Catocala nebulosa). First described by William Henry Edwards in 1864; it remains for me a desired, occasional species of variable coloration. It is one of our larger species measuring in at between 75-86mm. Its larvae feed on Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis) and American Black Walnut (Juglans nigra). This of coarse indicates that it is a species of relict old forests or forest remnants. I have only encountered it in the southern counties of my state (Illinois); and when found I have thus far only collected it during the month of July. I only have a dozen specimens (having been found over the years) and the 3 below exhibit some of the pleasant variation to be found. The top one is my darkest or most melanic specimen collected; whilst the other two show rather stark color differences on the large lighter forewing patches. The middle one is tan in color as opposed to the lower one with much more yellow ! Thanks for tuning in to my discussion dedicated to one of my favorite species.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2020 13:05:46 GMT -8
They are one of my favorites as well. Have caught them from July into September here in north central Illinois, and in TN, KY, and NC. I also love the variations. They’ve come to both my sugaring and to lights. Some years are better than others......this year was a good year for them.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2020 7:47:59 GMT -8
Trehopr1, Noticed one of your Cats is from Bald Knob at Alto Pass. Oh how I miss collecting at that spot since they changed the lights to LED. Used to get SO many things back when they were the BIG mercury lights. I went there a few years back and set up my lights on the hill and got a few.....kinda like regular spots, but not that horde of all kinds of stuff like years ago
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Post by trehopr1 on Oct 18, 2020 10:35:35 GMT -8
Hello Bill, yes indeed you are so right about that place. What a beacon it once was...
As you probably know vandals smashed out most or all of those 1500 watt lights in the fall of 2006. I heard from a caretaker at the site that at least one (or more) of the large light housings was literally "yanked"out of its mooring (likely by a pickup truck). The cross at that time was in very decrepit shape so with all the lights pretty much destroyed the place was shut down. For the next 3 years running funds were being raised to pay for a renovation of the site. A total of $300,000 was raised by October 2009.
It took another 3 years to restore the monument site and a rededication ceremony was held in December 2012. However, there was no money left for lighting !! Also, it was deemed that the welcome center too needed renovation to be in step with the monument so, more time spent yet raising more money... Between raising more money and undertaking the renovation of the welcome center it took another 3 years; renovation to the welcome center was completed sometime in mid-year 2015. But, still NO LIGHTS.
It would take yet another 2 years of haggling before new lighting would be installed; in addition to the bunkers themselves being restored in (2017). Of coarse, during the sorted discussions the old method of lighting was deemed too expensive to run so a combination LED + Halogen light system was incorporated instead at the renovated site. All told there were NO lights up there whatsoever from fall (2006) up till April (2017). About 10 1/2 years...
I finally got there to try to collect once again in June (2018). Well, as you remarked the new lights have largely "trashed" the idea of any GOOD collecting up there. Here and there, an occasional goodie can be found but, you can stay up there for 3 or 4 hours and maybe get 15-20 keepers for all the time spent. And, that's on a GOOD night ! Add in any measure of wind, rain, or drought like conditions and it just about makes you want cry... Having known what a great site it once was its very deflating having lost what once was.
I went yet again a year later in July (2019) and had a lousy weather weekend where my first night had too much wind and my second night saw a storm roll thru an hour after I arrived ! I decided to skip this year...
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Post by rayrard on Oct 20, 2020 11:01:11 GMT -8
Has anyone noticed hilltopping tendencies in moths? We had some good Catocala action on the summit of a local ridge, but average to poor action lower. The risks of hills is always the damn wind, which is the worst thing to have when collecting. Moon and temperature aren't as bad as a 10+ mph wind to kill a collecting night. The sheet just whips and knocks everyone off
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