Cold Weather and Winter Moth

[leptraps]

I have managed to set out eight (8) Bait Traps plus one in my back yard. I have three (3) in the Mantua Wetlands, two (2) Grand River WA and three (3) in Killdeer Plains WA.

I purchased and cut up 33 pounds of Apples (From an Apple Orchard in Burton, Ohio) and 16 pounds of Banana's and 20 pounds of Cane Sugar.

Todate the weather has been rather cold. Upper 30"s low 40's for highs. There is however, a warm up beginning today. High temp's in the upper 50'/low 60's. Wedensday Thursday & Friday. Overnight low temps in the mid-50'to upper 60"s.

In the future should we get a significant snowfall, I will not be able to access some of my Bait traps, especially at Grand River WA.

Should the warm temps stay above 50°, I may set out a couple of light traps tomorrow night.

I received some critisim recently for reporting my field activities. Should you not like my field activities reports, please, do not read them.

I did have a great year with Catocala moths. My best catch was several large females of Catocala parta.

[wollastoni]

Great.
Let us know what you catch this winter.

[kevinkk]

WA..stands for something other than Washington state? Here on the coast, I used to get Catacola, until they leveled the nearby woods to
build second homes and vacation rentals, not quite a clearcut, but close. On the Oregon coast here, things fly nearly all year, they just
get smaller.

[trehopr1]

I have always enjoyed your field activity reports ! I'm a field man myself (whenever possible); however, I pale in comparison to your herculean efforts --- and still going strong at your age. We should all be so fortunate...

[trehopr1]

By the way could you kindly show us some of those recent C. parta females ?

[leptraps]

I will post photographs some time late next week when I remove them from my spreading boards.

I will also post photographs of some of the Lithophane moths I have collected or will collect in the future. I know Lithophane are dull gray and black moths, I just think they are neat creatures.

[leptraps]

Nov 3, 2020 8:24:35 GMT -8 kevinkk said:

WA..stands for something other than Washington state? Here on the coast, I used Catacola, until they leveled the nearby woods to build second homes and vacation rentals, not quite a clearcut, but close. On the Oregon coast here, things fly nearly all year, they justget smaller.

WA is the abbreviation for Wildlife Area. ie Killdeer Plains WA. That designation is for all of the Wild Life areas in the State of Ohio.

[leptraps]

The over night temperature dropped to 44°F. However, a four+day warm up begins today. Highs in the mid-60's to lower 70's. I checked all my Bait Traps this AM. I collected 41 moths to be mounted/spread. Zale undularis (New to me!), Zale galbanata, and two IDK's. The Lithophane moths were abundant. I brought home about 50+ specimens.I collected several Eupsilia. Metaxaglae, and several IDK's until I spread them.

While checking my Bait Traps at the Grand River WA, I was traveling South on the East Road. I came upon what I thought was a pair Kitty Cats from a distances. They were a pair of Otters, I think. Before I could get close enough for a positive ID, they went into the ditch which drains into a creek.

Further down the road I came upon a squashed rat/ or Chipmunk. It had been dead sometime. It was covered with Flies and Hornets. I dropped my net over the whole mess and took a 100+ flies/Diptera and numerous Hornets/Vespidae.

As I was driving out to Mesopotamia, I found a Ginkgo Tree (Ginkgo biloba). I have not seen a Ginkgo Tree in 25+Years. I will have a Bait Trap near the Ginkgo Tree and a Light Trap close by as well during my next visit.

I also came across a State Nature Preserve near Rock Creek, Ohio. I stopped and looked around. I do not believe it is pristine, but the trees are huge. This one is close to home. I will check it out.

[leptraps]

Yesterday I checked my Bait Traps in the Mantua Wetlands Area. Several Lithophanae moths and a stunning Metaxaglae. I have never encounteted this Metaxaglae moth before. The current temperature is 49°. Today's high will be in the mid 60's.

I will travel to Killdeer Plains WA today to check my Bait Traps. I may set out a Light Trap or two.

We have a Red Sky this AM. And I mean a Red Sky.

An old sailors warning:

Red Sky at night, Sailors delight. Red Sky in the morning, a sailor warning.

More later.

[Adam Cotton]

Leroy,

Thanks for posting your updates. I really like reading them.

Red sky sounds ominous. In the UK they say "Red sky in the morning shepherd's warning, red sky at night shepherd's delight", a variation on the same theme. I wonder whether young kids nowadays know these things?

Adam.

[leptraps]

As I have mentioned before, I grew up along the shores of Lake Erie in Cleveland, Ohio. I watched the weather to determined if insects would fly.

Even in high school I had an interest in Colias eurytheme and Colias philodice. They would fly on warm days during the Winter.

How many of you have ever collected Colias species during warm spells in the winter? I also collected silkmoth cocoons during the Winter.

I also like lifting bark looking for winter moths and moths that hibernate during the Winter as adults.

[leptraps]

I checked my Bait Traps in the Grand River WA yesterday. The last Bait Trap was in the south east corner of the WA. As I entered the forest, I heard a cat crying. I went to investigate and found a young cat caught in a foot trap for Foxes. The cat was emaciated. I freed it from the trap wrapped it in a blanket and off to the Aurora vet I went. Evidently, it had been in the trap from several days. The vet had to put it down. $25.00 later I dug a hole in my back yard a buried the poor thing.

I called the WA office. Their response. "It occasionally happens". The WA officer told me that most of the State's Wild Life Areas are dumping grounds for unwanted pets. On a more pleasent topic. I found four (4) Polyphemus cocoon in a Aspen tree at the gas station (Country Store) in Mesopotamia. I will give them to a neighbor who teaches in an elementary school.

I found a Ginkgo Tree in Grand River WA some time ago. When I spoke to the WA Office I mentioned the Ginkgo Tree. I was told they are not native, they are however, rather numerous in most WA with forests.

[yorky]

I remember one Friday night about 6 years ago staying with Tony Harman. It was only early October but I remember needing extra duvets it was so cold.We went to the Kempton Park fair on the Saturday morning, the ground was covered in ice and frost. We only stayed the fair until 1 pm and went into the cold Chiltern hills in search of Colias croceus. Tony was enthusiastic of our chances but I must admit I was not in fact my shoulders were sagging as I made my way onto the bank at the top. We managed to find a small sun trap shielded from the biting wind and to my great surprise at least a dozen croceus were on the wing, all very fresh indeed. We took a series and kept a female alive to obtain eggs, just goes to show that local knowledge of an area is priceless as I wouldn't have even attempted to go collecting on such a day and would have stayed in by the fire.

[leptraps]

I googled Ginkgo Tree. Here is a short version of what I received.

Ginkgo biloba, commonly known as ginkgo or gingko, also known as the maidenhair tree, is the only living species in the division Ginkgophyta, all others being extinct. It is a member of a very old genus, with some fossils dating back 270 million years.

Wikipedia: Scientific name: Ginkgo biloba

Higher classification: Ginkgo

Conservation status: Endangered

Encyclopedia of Life:

Rank: Species

Eaten by: Supersaurus, Lambeosaurus
Fruit

[leptraps]

I was up and moving at 5:30AM as I had a breakfast date. I stopped for gas at a Speed-Way. As I was pumping gas, Ms Sandy found a moth on the ground by the newspaper rack. It is a
Eupsilia vinulenta. a Plusiinae and it was gorgeous female, so was the moth.

We checked some of my Traps in the Mantau Wetlands. I collected about 12 moths. All Lithophanae.

I have been slowly mounting the Heliothinae moths that I collected in 2017 in SE Colorado. I also have 30+ specimens from Killpecker Dunes from 2017 in a relaxer. I have a single Melipotis jucunda. It is a very worn specimen. I have collected this species in Texas and Arizona on numerous occasions.

[leptraps]

Duvets: I had to go look that up: Duvets.It is a European word. In the good old US of A, it is a comforter.

[leptraps]

I went out this AM to check my Bait Traps and explore for some new collecting locations. Although I visited two Nature Preserves which did not impress me. I think I found a good one, the New Lyme WA. I encountered a couple of hunters who claimed the place "Sucked". The forest is not pristine, It was however loaded with Walnuts, Oaks, and Hickory's, especially Shag Bark Hickory's. I spent about an hour lifting bark on the Hickories. I collected twenty plus Lithophanae moths, a couple of Eupsilia and several UFO"s. I will return tomorrow after church and set out all of my remaining Bait Traps. Stopped by Marc"s for Sugar and Apples on the way home. I will make a trip to Apple Core's after church tomorrow for some local Apples.

Ms Sandy and I stopped in at the Amish House Restaurant in Middlefield for a late lunch. After lunch we journeyed down to Killbuck Marsh WA. I must redepoly some of my Bait Traps to this WA. Killbuck Marsh WA is just South of Wooster. I was close to the Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery and visited the grave of my childhood friend and Lepidopterist. A tour in Vietnam, severely wounded, and the Bottle finally won the battle in 2004.

Ms Sandy help me cut up apples and prep them for my Bait Traps. I will have a busy day Monday checking Bait Traps and deploying additional traps to new locations.

After church tomorrow we will travel to restaurant near Millersburgh, Ohio. (Flabby O'Flannigans). This should be interesting.

[leptraps]

I am sitting in my recliner watching the snow fall. There is good 10 plus inches on the ground and lots more to come.

I placed 30+ specimens in my
"relaxing" container (rehydrater) last night. Should be ready to spread this evening. I also put more specimens in to rehydrate this AM.

My plan was to relocate back to Kentucky after the first of the year. Gainesville, Florida is looking better at the moment.

[trehopr1]

Wow, thinking of moving yet again !

Geez, your member name should be Nomad.

O'h but, then again another gentleman on the forum already has taken that name...

Gosh, what an undertaking --- moving.

[leptraps]

We lived in Kentucky from 2000 to 2005, a brief relocation from Georgetown, Kentucky to Winterville, NC to Watseka/Central City, Illinois (and a brief stop in Michigan City Indiana) and eventually back to Georgetown, Kentucky.

I will say one thing about Watseka, Illinois, Ms Betty and I really struggled with returning to Kentucky. We made friends in Watseka that I remain in contact with and I visit several times a year.

I collected some spectacular moths at the Iroquois County Wildlife Management Area. The Papaepema moths were fantastic.

[foxxdoc]

GINKO;

I have one here in Florida. bought it at a local plant society sale. kept in a 5 gal pot for over a year. didn't think it would make it. recently planted.

Is there something unusual about it from an entomological stand point ? why did you mention it ?

TOM

[leptraps]

I have no idea. I have always liked Ginkgo Trees. They are a docotolinden, all other tree's are monocotolinden.

I am not sure if I spelled the names correctly. Some one will set me straight.

[58chevy]

I think the spellings are dicotyledon & monocotyledon.

[billgarthe]

FYI.....according to my understanding, all trees are dicots, not monocots. Monocots are the grasses and plants with veins all running in the same direction, whereas dicots have leaves w branching veins and typical flowers.

[leptraps]

Aurora, Ohio received 16 inches of Snow last night. Gave my new Snow Thrower a workout.