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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 19, 2020 9:07:37 GMT -8
that's a big subnata to dwarf a maestosa!
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Post by rayrard on Sept 10, 2020 14:56:51 GMT -8
retecta/luctuosa are difficult but I think Wisconsin is far north for that and that is usually more yellowish-gray
residua/obscura have nice iridescent sheens when fresh
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Post by rayrard on Sept 10, 2020 11:20:15 GMT -8
We need location for those. But by appearance:
C. flebilis (reniform is too gray though but the fringe is wrong for angusi) C. retecta C. obscura
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Post by rayrard on Sept 8, 2020 20:25:52 GMT -8
amica and lineella are very easy to tell apart in CT at a quick glance. In the south they can vary more and there is an undescribed species that looks like them.
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Post by rayrard on Sept 7, 2020 11:24:17 GMT -8
Those all look like praeclara. I am also unsure of how to separate mira and blandula.
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Post by rayrard on Sept 7, 2020 3:38:23 GMT -8
cara is one of the most bait-heavy species I've encountered, with concumbens being very much light only. I think I've seen a cara at light maybe once and concumbens at bait maybe twice. These two species are also never really found tapping, but I've seen cara under eaves by day like amatrix is fond of doing. I have found few few species that can be tapped, baited, and lighted with equal frequency. I have strong bait and tapping species like palaeogama and ilia be only sporadic or hit-and-runners at light. A common daytime species like epione can be common at light but never comes to bait. I think my nominee for the best jack-of-all-trades is C. vidua which I've gotten at all three commonly but light seems to be it's least favorite.
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Post by rayrard on Sept 6, 2020 22:31:23 GMT -8
Missed out on finding piatrix which my friends got while I was away last week.
Still stuck on 40, which may be where I end but I could still get piatrix, unijuga, or meskei. Hell, maybe the rare and mysterious briseis or robinsonii?
We had a few Cats at the light and bait. 3 cerogama, 2 cara, 2 nebulosa, 2 habilis, 1 vidua. All good to OK conditions. Cerogama and cara still look quite fresh.
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Post by rayrard on Sept 6, 2020 10:23:46 GMT -8
unijuga versus meskei
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Post by rayrard on Sept 6, 2020 10:22:50 GMT -8
Palaeogama forms
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Post by rayrard on Sept 6, 2020 10:19:55 GMT -8
Testing the image: C. cerogama normal versus all dark
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Post by rayrard on Sept 3, 2020 18:55:00 GMT -8
I see my photos so I'm not sure what is wrong. I see no photo uploader on here,. I linked to photos in my google photos. What are you guys using to show photos?
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Post by rayrard on Sept 2, 2020 22:51:02 GMT -8
I love the Florida coccinata with the broken or faint HW band.
We don't see some of the super-rare Catocala posted about much, like myristica, atocala, herodias, miranda, orba, or lincolana. Seems most of the Catocala fans live in the northern tier states or in the Appalachians.
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Post by rayrard on Sept 2, 2020 19:10:33 GMT -8
Bait traps are fine but I am allergic to wasp stings and those damn things are all over bait traps when I've tried using them. Dozens of damn yellowjackets/bald-faced hornets and maybe a few Catocala being harassed by them. Bait is notoriously hit and miss, especially early season. My bait that works great in Sept will be garbage in late July. I am an extreme night owl so light sheets and bait trails work best. I will put out buckets but will grab them on the way out of my sheeting location.
I use bananas/mollasses/brown sugar bait, with sometimes peaches and apples thrown in. I will only use beer if I am using the bait within a week. Otherwise no alcohol.
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Post by rayrard on Sept 2, 2020 14:06:20 GMT -8
I would like to see the most unusual Catocala variations you've collected or seen. There must be some very rare or one-off variations out there. I always wonder if there are colored species that have black hindwings, or vice versa. Or an all-black relicta? Or extra large or small versions of species. Or what about species way out of range or of questionable taxonomic position.
I have collected a phalanga form before but I also have an all black cerogama.
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