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Post by mothman27 on May 25, 2020 13:57:45 GMT -8
I had a nice male luna at the sheet last night along with a worn D. inscriptum and two S. abbottii. I also got Panthea furcilla and Zale helata among others.
I have yet to see a single lucanid. I have gotten two specimens of Copris minuta which are the first I have ever found. All previously were C. fricator.
I've seen Papilio polyxenes, P. glaucus and P. cresphontes so far this year.
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on May 25, 2020 15:17:20 GMT -8
I put a Light Trap in Hardwood Forest and had several Panthea furcilla in the AM.
While hiking though old fields around the edge of the forest, I came upon a Christmas Tree farm. Answered my question about Panthea furcilla.
My lady friend is intrigued about my being a Lepidopterist. I set out a single Light Trap near the Grand River WMA. She will join me tomorrow AM to recover my trap. We will have breakfast at the Waffle House on SR44 and I-90. If she survives tomorrow morning, especially the Waffle House, she may be a keeper.
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Post by gaspipe on May 25, 2020 18:15:53 GMT -8
I put a Light Trap in Hardwood Forest and had several Panthea furcilla in the AM. While hiking though old fields around the edge of the forest, I came upon a Christmas Tree farm. Answered my question about Panthea furcilla. My lady friend is intrigued about my being a Lepidopterist. I set out a single Light Trap near the Grand River WMA. She will join me tomorrow AM to recover my trap. We will have breakfast at the Waffle House on SR44 and I-90. If she survives tomorrow morning, especially the Waffle House, she me be a keeper. Question is .... when she accompanies you in the AM will you pick her up or wake her up? ??
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on May 25, 2020 21:16:15 GMT -8
She met me at the Waffle House this AM. She is a real Lady. And she thinks I am a true Gentleman.
She was impressed at what I collected in my Light Traps. She was especially impressed by the fact that I designed and fabricated the Light Traps and Bait Traps I use.
She also likes the food at Waffle House.
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Post by mswisher on May 25, 2020 21:52:03 GMT -8
I set up my lights this past Friday in the rim country north of Payson, AZ. It was a great night for Coloradia doris, with a few dozen coming to my sheet. I took home 22 (14 males and 8 females). Also got several specimens of a cool emerald, Nemoria latirosaria.
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Post by exoticimports on May 26, 2020 5:28:10 GMT -8
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Post by nomihoudai on May 26, 2020 6:39:19 GMT -8
Nice pics. I find it interesting that the mix of species does not look too different from the genera that one would expect in Europe at this time of the year; Acronicta, Clostera, Spilosoma, & a Biston. The Phyllodesma are nice, those I would pretty much never come across, I can't remember of having caught one.
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Post by exoticimports on May 26, 2020 7:57:21 GMT -8
The Phyllodesma are pretty common, there have been two or three each night. Somewhat variable in color as well.
Chuck
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Post by mothman27 on May 26, 2020 12:06:47 GMT -8
What I kept from last night: Most notable are the Plusia contexta which I have only once caught here previously, in 2017. Yet I got my second and third specimens in one night, crazy. The water beetle is the largest I have found, measuring about 1 5/8'' long. I assume it is Hydrophilus triangularis.
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Post by exoticimports on May 27, 2020 4:27:27 GMT -8
This is horrible. Last night 80F. Since I was unimpressed with the MV of the previous night, I put out a 30W BLB. I got crap. Thousands of small carabids and lots of june bugs. Almost no moths of any size. Keeping in mind from the corner of my deck to the forest is no more than 4 meters, and the front of the deck to the forest is at best 6 meters. From my deck I can see oak, maple, tulip tree, birch, ash, cherry, choke cherry, locust, grape, virginia creeper, etc. Facing the other direct (indirect from the light) is willow and a swamp not 300 meters distant. I'm going nuts.
Did see (and catch) the first P. glaucus of the year.
Chuck
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Post by Paul K on May 27, 2020 4:59:12 GMT -8
Some of you are lucky to be able to light trap in your back yard. I have to drive at least 40km to nearest forest and commit a half night to collect. That is why I don’t do it often.
Tonight I will be trying to find some at gas stations, store fronts at one of the village which is located near a good patch of forest. Although it will be tough as most lights are converted to LEDs.
Did any of you used power converter 12V to 110V 500W for MV 175W. Just wonder how that would work although I suppose the car would have to run all the time to prevent battery drainage. I don’t have generator and Don’t want to invest for now $1000 for good light weight Honda.
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Post by exoticimports on May 27, 2020 6:09:22 GMT -8
I've never run the 175W off battery. I can tell you that mine (external ballast) won't start with the generator set at 250W, I have to start at 350W to get it started, then turn it down to 250W to save fuel.
Gasoline engines in cars don't like to idle a long time, they can overheat and it clogs the valves, sensors, and catalytic converter. Running a light off a car a long time isn't free- you'll pay for it.
If you do get a dedicated battery, get a deep cycle, they don't die if run down, whereas a standard battery is damaged below a certain charge. Of course, deep cycles cost more money.
:-) as you can see, having a forest in the back yard isn't doing me any good!
What's the chance you can find a friendly research station, friend, farmer, etc that will let you put your light out with a kill bucket? Put it on a timer, then go check it every day or so. That way you're not driving home tired in the middle of the night. After this weekend's cold front passes I'm going to set up a BL on timer at a friend's place.
BTW I now have a "pet" bluejay. He shows up every morning to eat the insects. This morning a pair of wrens and a chipmunk got into the smorgasbord as well.
Chuck
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Post by exoticimports on May 28, 2020 6:47:26 GMT -8
Well, still no luna.
However, things did improve. I went back to the 175W MV. Two S abbotti, two D inscriptum.
Notably, not as many of the tiny carabids but more volume of moths...and those pesky fishflies.
Chuck
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Post by Paul K on May 28, 2020 7:02:48 GMT -8
I drove last night to look around gas stations. I found one which still uses MV bulbs and it is located near by forest but not directly attached to which would be ideal. No other lights in whole village there so no route to make, however I found also 4 very fresh S.abbottii, one S.jamaicensis and few small noctuids yet to id. Not too bad.
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Post by mothman27 on May 28, 2020 8:00:45 GMT -8
Well, this must be a good year for S. abbottii or else I found their peak flight time, I have seen them every night for the past several days. Last night there were at least five of them. I need to get my bait trap functioning and maybe I would get a female. I also got one D. inscriptum and saw a tattered D. myron, the first of the year. Also got a Furcula cinerea.
Yesterday I got a pretty nice luna as well as another Plusia contexta.
Fishflies and June beetles still dominate. Still no lucanids.
On a different note, my promethea cocoons began hatching out yesterday, rearing will ensue shortly.
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