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Post by Jonn on Jul 11, 2019 12:10:41 GMT -8
Went tree tapping, saw my first ever epione but couldn't catch it. Sucks. Tomorrow going to put two of my traps where i saw and see if i get it. The area has a load of hickory (mockernut/pignut/sand) but not its supposed preference shagbark, which doesn't occur here.
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Post by fishnbugz on Jul 11, 2019 15:00:33 GMT -8
I caught a clintonii and a "new" species that I think must be blandula later last night. Both came to the light and were found on the ground, in less than perfect condition but still nice.
I had a family deal yesterday and left a single trap near some oaks in Sioux City IA; it had 2 ilia and a bunch of Asterocampa celtis when I picked it up today.
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Post by fishnbugz on Jul 12, 2019 21:53:11 GMT -8
I ran about 20 traps for the first half of the night last night, some at home and some up by the river. I caught something in the range of about 85 catocala and a handful of other moths, A whole lot of the total number was amestris and micronympha. I had 3 more illecta, 1 nuptialis and 1 whitneyi. a few meskei, grynea, and ultronia; 9 ilia, and had several others either escape or spook off the top of the trap when I moved it. I keep finding very dark-edged forms of minuta, I've had a few in the past but for 2019 there have been a couple most every night that I gotta keep.
I've got just 4 traps out tonight around the yard, and one has an A- amestris in it- the first time I've caught it here, but I'm not certain it didn't ride home in the car last night and escape here. Haven't had any keepers tonight though.
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Jul 13, 2019 13:34:24 GMT -8
Just out of curiosity, I would like to know what type of traps do you use to collect Catocala. Are these Bait Traps or Light Traps.
A photograph, or photographs of your traps would be appreciated.
I use both Bait Traps (Both Live & Kill Type) and my Light Traps are 15 Watt 12VDC Battery Powered Kill Type.
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Post by jhyatt on Jul 14, 2019 8:34:38 GMT -8
I use mostly live-type bait traps of Leptraps origin... several ancient "flat-bottom" types with the plywood base warped and the mesh cage falling apart and held together with duct tape - but they still work! And also one slotted-pan type in much better shape. I have one collapsible Bioquip tropics-style trap which I don't really like - too hard to empty out all the dead flies, etc. For lighting Catocalas, I'm either at a sheet with 400-watt MVs, or using 15-watt kill-type bucket traps from Leptraps.
jh
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Post by fishnbugz on Jul 14, 2019 10:23:08 GMT -8
I caught 2 whitney's Underwing last night here at home. Left the rest, there were lots of minuta, and a couple each of meskei, grynea, and ultronia. That's the problem I have here, too much same-old stuff and not enough awesome new species I've never seen before!
When I say traps, I mean bait traps, and I've home-made a bunch of them in a few different styles. Most are flat-bottom, the easiest to make and use. I have a few slotted pans, and I love them when the weather is hot but they take more effort and cost to build. I made a few of another style with a funnel in the bottom that I don't like much, I will test these the rest of the summer then probably change them for next year.
My lights are MV's, 400's and a 175, and I mow short around them and set up sheets. I've found 2 whitneyi, a clintoni and a blandula on the ground in the last week, and I scan the whole area a good 20 feet around the light for moths at "last check" each night.
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Post by fishnbugz on Jul 15, 2019 5:48:14 GMT -8
Another new catocala species for my yard last night, epione. I've been collecting here for 12 or 14 years, and two new species in the same week or so has not happened for a long time. I also took ilia #3 and illecta #4 from the yard for 2019, both of these species are usually 1 or less per season.
Gonna head for the camper today for a couple nights, it's been over a month with too many things interfering with my schedule. I will take a few traps to set up in the hills where the leadplant is, and hope to find abbreviatella. I usually get about 1 per season.
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Post by Jonn on Jul 15, 2019 11:08:30 GMT -8
Since my last post i've added neogama, piatrix, vidua (first backyard caught) & obscura (first ever). Two new species already this year (would say three if i caught the epione)
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Jul 15, 2019 13:29:02 GMT -8
I do not know what type of bulb you have in your traps. If you are using 18" 350 15 Watt, change your bulb to an 18" 360/365 15 Watt BLB. That is a Dark Purple bulb. I read someplace (I think I did??) that Catocala abbreviatella will more readily come to BLB rather than 350 BL.
I have not collected Catocala abbreviatella and it has not been reported from Kentucky.
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Post by rayrard on Jul 15, 2019 21:05:43 GMT -8
Got the first CT Catocala last week. Had a few C. ilia and a connubialis tapping and a C. similis at light.
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Post by rayrard on Jul 15, 2019 21:11:37 GMT -8
I am planning on going down to SW VA and WV next weekend and I was wondering if anyone had any good Catocala spots for tree tapping, bait, or light. You could PM me if you don't want to publicly say. I wanted to get some of the more southern species I don't see in CT but I know there are some mountain specialties and some coastal ones. I would really like to try for marmorata, sappho, illecta, lacrymosa, nebulosa, robinsoni, herodias, etc. We don't want to travel too far south and west of the mountains as we are coming from the east coast.
I see it is a "good" year for marmorata with 4 records on iNaturalist (with none previously)
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Post by Jonn on Jul 16, 2019 2:09:23 GMT -8
Definitely an increase in diversity this year. Had a lacrymosa in form paulina in my backyard trap but it managed to escape. My other two traps had carissima, maestosa, piatrix, neogama, ilia, vidua, muliercula, amatrix & ultronia.
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Jul 16, 2019 2:32:15 GMT -8
This may be a bit too far, however, if you can get to Blue Grass, Virginia in Highland County. Travel west from Blue Grass on RT640 to RT642. Turn right on RT642. stay on RT642, you will climb up and over Big Jack (??) Mountain. The view from the top is spectacular. Once you cross over the mountain you will descend into a bottom area. On your right there is a farm and a farm house. On the left is access to the George Washington NF and on bottom there is area with a creek and lot's of Beaver Dams. The Trout Fishing was excellent. If you continue up and out of the valley, you will enter "West by God Virginia".
When I lived near Staunton, Virginia, I had Bait Traps in that Valley and along the NF Access roads. There was lots of Catocala. This is/was a fantastic area to collect. The last time I visited the area was 2001. That was 18 years ago.
I sugared for moths along the NF access road. My best catch was Catocala herodias. However, there were lot's of Catocala moths.
I looked at my specimens of Catocala herodias. I collected them on 15 July to 22 August.
It it a long journey, even when I lived in Virginia. It was one of my favorite locations.
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Post by rayrard on Jul 17, 2019 14:18:53 GMT -8
Thanks leptraps for the info. I don't know how far we'll travel but it's a multi-day trip so maybe. It sounds like a fun spot. Do you know which species (including non-Catocala) you've collected there?
As for the Catocala topic, me and Larry Gall went tapping before a thunderstorm in 93 degree weather. We had a good amount of action for mid July in CT C. ilia - 1 C. ultronia - 1 C. parta - 1 C. innubens - 1 C. coccinata - 2 C. connubialis - 1 C. amica - 12+ C. lineella - 12+
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Post by rayrard on Jul 17, 2019 14:19:28 GMT -8
Anyone else with experience in that area I'd appreciate some tapping/lighting spots where you've found good diversity and numbers.
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