|
|
Post by exoticimports on Jun 10, 2020 3:52:57 GMT -8
Last night was hot, with a low of about 72F/ 22C.
As expected, thousands of small moths, beetles, etc.
Perhaps disappointing, also the first T polyphemus and A io. While the flight periods of these species do overlap with A luna, they typically appear at the very end of the luna flight season.
I have one more trap to check today.
Chuck
|
|
|
|
Post by leptraps on Jun 10, 2020 14:43:32 GMT -8
I just returned setting out four (4) Light Traps. Two in/near the Mantua Wetlands. While setting out the Light Traps in an upland forest near the wetlands, I almost stepped on a Copper Head Snake. A stunning specimen. It has been more than fifty years since I last saw a Copper Head in the mountains of Virginia north of the town of Blue Grass.
I saw my first Euphydryas phaeton. I will return everyday for the next week or so. Swap Box guys will love them.
|
|
|
|
Post by mothman27 on Jun 13, 2020 14:21:49 GMT -8
We had several days of very cold nights, so not much to report. Last night was low of about 65F, and produced a lot of smaller moths, but at least a lot of them. No luna or other saturnid; by now luna should be about done, but I haven't seen a single one. Here are photos from the last few nights:  Looks like you got a P. macmurtrei as well. |
|
|
|
Post by leptraps on Jun 13, 2020 16:13:11 GMT -8
Many years ago I found a larva while cut down a tree in my yard. The wings are fully covered with scales when the adult emerges from the pupae. But once it flutters its wings prior to the first flight, all the scales come off the wings in a cloud of dust.
|
|
|
|
Post by exoticimports on Jun 14, 2020 15:40:44 GMT -8
That’s a female. I got two males last year, maybe one or two females in my lifetime.
|
|
|
|
Post by exoticimports on Jun 16, 2020 5:51:29 GMT -8
Last few nights have dipped to 48F/ 9C. As one might expect, virtually zero came to the light.
One funny event: yesterday I found a new, dark-winged tiger moth. This certainly was a novelty! I looked at the reference volumes to determine that it is Euchaetes egle. What?? The Milkweed Tiger Moth? I've seen thousands of larvae, but apparently have NEVER encountered an adult!
Chuck
|
|
|
|
Post by leptraps on Jun 17, 2020 18:15:27 GMT -8
On Monday night I set out two Light Traps in a wooded area near the Mantua Wetlands. This AM I collected my Light Traps and had a real surprise, Hyles gallii. I had another Hyles gallii in a Bait Trap in a wooded area NE of Hiram, Ohio. I thought this was a first. When I looked in my collection, I have four (4) specimens from the upper Peninsula of Michigan that I collected in 1993.
|
|
|
|
Post by exoticimports on Jun 18, 2020 4:08:00 GMT -8
I got one H gallii last year, early in the evening, just before "black dark". Came to the 175W MV. It's the only one, keeping in mind I've been lighting the same location for 16 years.
Chuck
|
|
|
|
Post by mothman27 on Jun 19, 2020 2:42:30 GMT -8
I collected a P. excaecata today as well as the first S. kalmiae I have found here. I did get one last year in N. Carolina. It always fun when you find something which has been hiding for several years. That makes the 12th species of sphingid I have collected here this year.
This week I went on a trip to look for Boloria selene but only found one. I did get some Cicindela repanda though. I also found an area with bunches of Asterocampa celtis.
|
|
|
|
Post by leptraps on Jun 19, 2020 7:46:32 GMT -8
I collected my Light Traps this AM. The trap near a large seep had a Sphinx moth: Paonias astylus. I had to look in my collection to see the last time I collect one; Crown Hill Knob, Rowan County, KY 30 June 2002. I collected it numerous times in the Mountains of SW Virginia.
|
|
|
|
Post by exoticimports on Jun 30, 2020 4:36:24 GMT -8
Well, thus far a strange year, mostly disappointing. Nights in the 70s, days near 90. Still, not much at the lights. Last night, of course, another oddity. About 70F most of the night with a low of 63. Half moon at 30 degrees azimuth at sunset, so on paper looked like it would be another lost night. But, this morning, five male lunas! Finally- a month late! Four were damaged, two heavily, indicating they had been beating around the deck for some time last night. Two were outside the privacy fence on the deck. Also one female promethea, and several small sphingids (darapsa). Some photos of smalls from the last week or so, along with the lunas:                                   |
|
|
|
Post by mothman27 on Jun 30, 2020 5:18:51 GMT -8
You never know what to expect! Over the last 5ish years that I have been collecting a lot I have never come across a single Sphinx kalmiae and now this year at the lights in my backyard I have gotten 3 specimens. I got a female Automeris io at the light yesterday and now have some eggs  This year there have been lots of H. scribonia and D. myron. There was a beaten male Imperial moth at the light last week, first of the year. Also, the prometheas I raised are still emerging this late in the year. It's been over a month since the first ones started hatching. I am up to 13 species of Sphingids this year. |
|
|
|
Post by exoticimports on Jun 30, 2020 7:21:39 GMT -8
I went back through my records, and did find one of A. luna at the lamp as late as 14 July.
Still, to not see them appear until late June is unheard of.
Chuck
|
|
|
|
Post by Paul K on Jun 30, 2020 7:43:31 GMT -8
I went back through my records, and did find one of A. luna at the lamp as late as 14 July. Still, to not see them appear until late June is unheard of. Chuck I did light moth collecting for the first time here in Ontario since 15 years on June 20 and 5 male A.luna came to MV. Only one was in quite good shape A1-. I also collected aberrant female which laid 80 eggs for me so I will be busy with raising luna. This is actually first encounter I have had with this beautiful species. |
|
|
|
Post by exoticimports on Jul 6, 2020 4:09:28 GMT -8
Well, I spent four nights over the weekend with a 18w BLB at a friend's place. Old maples and walnuts, with a yard dropping down to a swamp. Nothing. Go figure.
So last night the 175W MV at home, yielded one female promethea, three lunas- one a female, and while wings were perfect she'd already laid her eggs. And one Darapsa sphinx.
Chuck
|
|
|
|
Post by mothman27 on Jul 7, 2020 3:33:26 GMT -8
Last night I collected my first ever Pawpaw Sphinx (Dolba hyloeus), a female. This makes 16 sphingid species this year.
Recently I have gotten several Ceratomia catalpae as well as Paonias excaecata.
I got a Grammia virgo two days ago.
Last night I also got a large Monochamus longorn beetle.
Still only seen one imperial, a worn male.
Io have been pretty common.
|
|
|
|
Post by exoticimports on Jul 8, 2020 4:15:43 GMT -8
The last few days, like early last week, have been spectacular for luna, with a half-dozen coming each night. One one has returned on subsequent nights; I take this to mean that the nightly population are fly-bys, which would indicate that the forest is loaded with luna. What a change from a few weeks ago when I worried luna had skipped this year's eclosure!
Got another female C. promethea, but she wouldn't lay eggs.
Last night experienced an explosion in "visitors" with thousands of male gypsy moths (L. dispar). Only other species were a couple early Darapsa sphinx, and a late A. juglandis (walnut sphinx); no lunas. I suspect everything was driven off by the horrible gypsy moths.
Oddly, the only Io was weeks ago; normally they come in droves, though I suspect they are coming since they typically follow luna.
Mothman, good score on the sphingids this year! We don't get many of the species you do.
Chuck
|
|
|
|
Post by Paul K on Jul 8, 2020 6:03:51 GMT -8
L.dispar is a huge problem here on this side of the lake. They consume absolutely everything, last trip to forest I saw larvae on some wild grass species.
|
|
|
|
Post by exoticimports on Jul 8, 2020 6:17:46 GMT -8
L.dispar is a huge problem here on this side of the lake. They consume absolutely everything, last trip to forest I saw larvae on some wild grass species. The last time I saw massive devastation by gypsy moths was Letchworth State Park, NY circa 2002. This year, reported in same park, as well as town parks near me (though I have been to these parks, and not observed gypsy moth infestation, so it could be reported by a bunch of typically poor-informed bird watchers.) I can say there were about 300 males at the light, when typically it might be closer to 20. Ironically, I found this article from 2018 wondering where they went. "WE'RE BAAAACK!" www.nytimes.com/2018/05/11/science/gypsy-moths-fungus.htmlChuck |
|
|
|
Post by Paul K on Jul 8, 2020 7:19:32 GMT -8
Here I can see thousands of larvae effected by fungus “melting” on the tree trunks, nevertheless i suppose it will be few more years ahead until they get under control this time.
|
|
|
|
Post by mothman27 on Jul 10, 2020 2:42:13 GMT -8
Gypsy moths have been at the sheet recently but not in large numbers. There is a definite lack of oaks right around my house.
I got an imperial male yesterday. Ceratomia catalpae have been more common than I have seen in the past. Today I got a Plusia contexta and Phragmatobia fuliginosa.
|
|
|
|
Post by Paul K on Jul 10, 2020 4:22:24 GMT -8
Gypsy moths have been at the sheet recently but not in large numbers. There is a definite lack of oaks right around my house. I got an imperial male yesterday. Ceratomia catalpae have been more common than I have seen in the past. Today I got a Plusia contexta and Phragmatobia fuliginosa. Gypsy moth will feed on any tree species ( never see one on conifer species as long as I remember). Trust me they don’t care about oak. |
|
|
|
Post by Paul K on Jul 11, 2020 10:20:38 GMT -8
Gypsy moth will feed on any tree species ( never see one on conifer species as long as I remember). Trust me they don’t care about oak. Actually, oaks are one of the preffered host plants for gypsy moth. www.nrs.fs.fed.us/disturbance/invasive_species/gm/What I meant they don’t care if it’s oak or not they eat it anyway. We have not so many oak trees in South Ontario but zillions of L.dispar. Females can not fly and most of the time they would emerge wait for male to mate and lay eggs on the same tree trunk. Last walk in the park proved that they can feed even on pine tree. I’ve seen them on all sort of bushes and on wild grasses. I would not be surprised if they could consume a paper 😂😜. |
|
|
|
Post by trehopr1 on Jul 12, 2020 9:59:40 GMT -8
I have to say that one would think after all these years the Gypsy moth populations would be in better check. That is to say you would think by now the U.S forest service would have developed a reasonably effective manner for curtailing their explosive populations -- via some targeting parasitoid etc. I realize of coarse chemicals of various sorts have probably been tried but, then they have probably proven to kill off most other things as well.
I don't mean to sound ignorant on this topic but, I live in Illinois and have never seen one. Never seen an article about them being here or any population issues related to them. They have been an issue in the Northeast states I know since at least 1905 and perhaps earlier. In my state, various beetle related pests have made the headlines here over these last 30 years...
Can anyone elaborate more on what is being done these days since I am out of the loop. Thanks...
|
|
|
|
Post by exoticimports on Jul 12, 2020 17:07:34 GMT -8
Interesting observation: the female Luna and one female angulifera thus far are the largest specimens of the species I’ve ever seen. The angulifera is larger than some male cecropia.
Chuck
|
|
