leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Oct 14, 2019 6:09:32 GMT -8
I just returned from checking some of my Bait Traps. I have two traps in a forested area behind an industrial complex. Several worn Catocala vidua. I also had four species of Lithophane. I collected 2 males and four females of Lithophane petulca, L. innominata & L. tepida. I also got a stunning female of Eupsilia vinulenta.
The four Bait Traps in the Mantua Wetlands had fewer moths as the temperatures dropped below 50°just after 11PM. I did collect a nice Lithomoia germana and several Homoglaea hircina.
The weather for the next six days will be rather cold, highs in low 50's and Lows in the 40's.A warm up is due the following week.
Does anybody else collect Noctuidae? Catocala are Erebidae.
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Oct 14, 2019 9:37:18 GMT -8
The preceding post was made to Catocala 2019. Included in my last post was a single Catocala species. The remainder of the report was about Noctuid moths Lithophane, Eupsilia and Metaxaglae are Noctuidae.
There is so much more to learn about moths. Catocala moths are in the family Erebidae. Lithophane, Eupsilia and Metaxaglae are Noctuidae.
Should you want to collect and learn about Winter/Cold Weather moths, you need a Bait Trap, possibly two or more. When the day time high temperature exceed 60° and the overnight low temp above 50° until after midnight, cold weather/Winter Moths will fly. Look back through Catocala 2019. Or even further Catocala 2017 & Catocala 2018. They are not difficult to identify.
I collected 103 specimens of Cold Weather Winter moths to date. All in Bait Traps. And remember, I was out of commission for two months due to the death of my wife in January and Feburary.
Some of you live in places where virtually no moth collecting had been done. And no, you do not have to eat at a Waffle House, but it does not hurt.
Let us hear from you. And if you struggle with identifications, post photographs. I will gladly help with identifications.
Looking forward to learn what you find\collect. Just because it is winter does no mean you must stop collecting.
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Post by mothman27 on Oct 15, 2019 17:18:21 GMT -8
Got a nice one this week, Argyrogramma verruca.
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Oct 17, 2019 6:54:29 GMT -8
It rained last night for over three hours. And it put it down big time. However, a nice warm up is coming Saturday night through to Wednesday. I just checked the bait trap in my back yard. A few flies and no moths. The Bait was flooded out. We will have another cold night tomorrow. I will wait til tomorrow AM and replace the bait in all of my traps. One in my yard, three in the Mantua Wetlands area, one in Streetmans Woods near Hiram and two in the woods behind an industrial complex in Aurora.
I will also set out some light traps at some point during the warm up.
More later......
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Oct 17, 2019 13:36:24 GMT -8
The heavy rain that past through last night was a bomb cyclone when it reach New York City and headed into New England.
As they would say in the hills of SW Virginia, and I quote.
It rained harder than a double K----d cow pissing on a flat rock. Now that's putting it down....
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Oct 24, 2019 6:22:17 GMT -8
The overnight temperature in the Mantua Wetlands was 58° and the forested area NW of Hiram,Ohio I have a total of five (5) Bait Traps set out. In the three (3) Bait Traps in the Mantua Wetlands I collected 31 Lithophane,(semiusts, parefacta, innominata, petulca, signosa & pextat) 7 Eupsilia (vinulenta, schweitzer & morrisoni and 3 Sericaglaea. Two were Sericaglaea signata and the third was a IHNFID?
I have several Lithophane that I cannot identify. I also found a Nymphalis milberti. Lots of Polygonia's and hoards of flies.
I am considering putting out two more Bait Traps in the wetland area near the head waters of the Cuyahoga River.
I will spend the remainder of the day mounting moths and making bait!
There is a major change coming in the weather. A hard freeze late next week.
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Oct 28, 2019 6:28:27 GMT -8
I guess I am the only one doing any collecting. The over night temperature hit 41°. Now that's a tad bit chilly. However, when the sun set last evening the temp was 58°. It did not get down below 50° unti 1:15AM.
The Bait trap in my back yard had numerous moths, most Lithophane unimoda and L. bethunei. In the Mantua Wetlands I also collected L. innominata & L. hemina. There we two UFO Lithophane that I need to spread to identify. There several females of Lithophane, just not sure of ID.
There also several Eupsilia vinulenta and several different Pyreferra, the only one I have identified is Pyreferra pettiti.
The weather pattern should hold for the next two days, I will have light traps out tonight.
Once a moth enters a Slotted Pan Bait Trap,escape is extremely difficult. The access opening area in a Flat Bottom Bait Trap is three times that of a Slotted Pan. The design is base on a Moths upward mobility. Once the moth enters the trap and feeds it fly upward into the cylinder. The moth then seeks shelter under the Cloth top and around the inside of the cylinder around the shroud.
For all my efforts here on Insectnet, I believe I am the only one interested in collecting moths other than Saturnidae , Sphinhidae, Arctiidae and possibly Sessidae. And I almost forgot Papaipema and Schinia.
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Post by leptraps on Nov 5, 2019 7:19:01 GMT -8
I guess it is just me and Mothman who are still out in the field collecting. I checked all my Bait Traps yesterday. I brought home 36 Lithophane moths: L. unimoda, L. petulca, L. oriunda, L. innominata, L. anathixputa ( A new one for me!) L. hemins and L. disposita. I also collected a gorgeous female of Chaetaglaea derives.
For the past several weeks I have seen the very large fly in my Bait Traps, almost the size of a horse fly. That is a big fly for this time of the year. I collected a couple and stuck pins in them.
I have a Bait Trap in a wooded area near the Cuyahoga River and Pioneer Rd in Portage County, Ohio. As I was removing specimens I got a whiff of something dead. I walk a short distance next to the trail and found a dead and decomposing deer. It had been there some time and the head was missing. I can only assume. However, when I looked up in the trees, there were several vultures waiting for lunch. I debated over taking my Bait Trap down or leaving it. I left it. I would bet some serious coin it is full of flies by my next visit.
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Post by mswisher on Nov 5, 2019 8:05:46 GMT -8
Leptraps - Still collecting here in Arizona. Had over 100 Agapema anona come to my lights this past Friday night. I am planning to go after Hemileuca juno later this week.
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Post by jhyatt on Nov 6, 2019 7:36:11 GMT -8
Leroy, What's a good trap placement for Lithophanes? Woods, open field, edge of woods, or what?
Tks, jh
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Nov 6, 2019 8:45:58 GMT -8
John:
I have one in a Black Locust tree in my back yard. Lots of Lithophane unimoda, I have taken several each of L. patefacta & L. innominata.
In the Mantua Wetlands area I have collect several hundred Lithophane of possibly 8+ species.
My best location is an old forest with some undergrowth. I have another along the Cuyahoga River (Head Water area) in a forested area. It has collected 7 species.
I have about 30 Lithophane moths on spreading boards yet to be identified.
Try placing it 20+ feet inside the edge of a forest.
You will need to give the top of the trap a hard slap to knock the moths loose from the top. I take a pair of stamp tweezers to handle the moths. I have a card board disk I place over the slotted pan to keep the moths from falling into the bait.
I collect every Lithophane moth in the trap with a killing jar.
I have mounted over 125 Lithophane moths since I moved to Aurora.
You will also collect some Eupsilia and Metaxaglae. There are several other moths from several genius that will get into the trap.
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Post by rayrard on Nov 9, 2019 4:58:26 GMT -8
I guess these are easier than Catocala where they won't flutter around and escape, and will just crawl into a corner and rest. And the winter season is free of yellow jackets!
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Nov 9, 2019 11:22:43 GMT -8
Not here in Ohio, nor in Kentucky. It takes a hard freeze to make Vespidae stop flying and go into hibernation or kill them off.
The Giant Asian Hornet (Vespa mandarinia japonica) can be a royal pain, literally! They also have a seriously painful sting. It takes a hard freeze to put them into hibernation or kill them off.
There is a little Black, yellow, green and white hornet that can put a good welt on your hand or arm.
We had a hard freeze last night. That will be the end of most things that sting.
I cannot end this with acknowledging the little Black and white hornet with a touch of Yellow. A nasty little stinging SOB.
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Post by 58chevy on Nov 9, 2019 11:58:04 GMT -8
I didn't know that giant Asian hornets had become established in the U.S. How long have they been here, and where are they most concentrated?
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Nov 11, 2019 14:42:32 GMT -8
They have been in Kentucky for twenty plus years and have been a genuine nuisance. They are very large and are yellow and brown in color. I have one field pinned in a box someplace. They can be very aggressive. They have virtually replaced the black and white Bald Face Hornet.
The daytime temp on Sunday was 55°. I check my Bait traps this afternoon. I had lots of Lithophane. A couple of Zale, several Mythimna unipuncta and Agrotis ipsilon.
We could receive 6+ inches of Snow tonight. I should have remained in Kentucky.
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