Moth Magic

Euchaetes egle: Milkweed Tussock Moths

Cindy — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:29:29 +0000

I could (and do) spend hours in one small stand of milkweed. Common Milkweed (Asclepia Syriaca) is a perennial native to Michigan and much of the eastern half of the US and Canada. It grows well in sandy, well-drained soil and spreads profusely by rhizomes.

Common Milkweed

Besides it's wonderful heady scent, Common Milkweed is a host to many kinds of insects. One of the more notable insects, other than the well known Monarch Butterfly, is the Milkweed Tussock Moth, which are classified in the subfamily Arctiinae.

Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillar (Euchaetes egle)

Female Tussock Moths lay eggs in "rafts" and caterpillars are gregarious during instars 1-3, solitary in later instars, when marked with bright tufts. The ravenous caterpillars often defoliate patches of milkweed in a very short period of time.

Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillars (Euchaetes egle)

The adult moths usually have unmarked gray wings, with bright yellowish-orange abdomens with black spots.

Milkweed Tussock Moth, Adult (Euchaetes egle)

1: Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

2, 3 and 4: Milkweed Tussock Moth - Hodges#8238 (Euchaetes egle) Common. Hosts: Milkweed Notes: Two Broods (click images for lightbox view)

Slug Caterpillar Moths

Cindy — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 23:55:44 +0000

Spiny Oak-Slug Moth (Euclea delphinii)

Slug Caterpillar Moths are found in the Family Limacodidae. They are medium to medium-small moths with stout, often hairy bodies and broad, rounded wings. With their small heads and 'cuddly' appearance, I personally find them to be one of the most interesting of all families of moths.

Crowned Slug (Isa textula)

The larvae are naked to densely hairy, usually with stinging hairs. Like slugs, the caterpillars move in a gliding motion with abdominal prolegs replaced by suckers.

Yellow-shouldered Slug Moth (Lithacodes fasciola)

We added a few more species from this fascinating family to our property list this past summer, and I'm hoping to discover more caterpillars in the future as well. My photos of the larvae are unfortunately stored on zip discs that I can no longer access since I've switched over to a Mac; at any rate, caterpillar hunting is just as much fun as spending time with the adults as there is always something wonderful to discover in the magical world of moths.

Only 60 more days until Spring! :)

1. Spiny Oak-Slug Moth (Euclea delphinii) #4697. Common. Hosts: Trees and wood plants including apple, beech, chestnut, maple and oak. Range: SE Canada and E. US.

2. Crowned Slug Moth (Isa Textula) #4681. Common. Hosts: Trees and shrubs, including elm, hickory, maple and oak. Range: SW Ontario and E. US

3. Yellow-shouldered Slug Moth (Lithacodes fasciola). Common. Hosts: Deciduous trees and shrubs, including apple, beech, elm, oak and willow. Range: Widespread.

(click images for lightbox view)

Fall Colors

Cindy — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 04:31:50 +0000

Pitcher-plant Borer Moth (Papaipema appassionata)

September arrived with a bang of color at our MV light, bringing many familiar moths to the sheet and surrounding trees, along with a beautiful new species for our property, Pitcher-plant Borer Moth. There was not much information available on the net for this species, so I used my Bugguide.net contributing editor privileges and created a new species page for this moth. It was very mellow and approachable, so I have quite a few good images that represent this handsome species well.

Bronzed Cutworm (Nephelodes minians)

I love the rich earthy colors of fall species; they occur in as many varied shades of browns, golds and reds as the lovely fall tree foliage in our woods. Moths in the subfamily Noctuinae are especially beautiful this time of year.

Scalloped Sallow (Eucirroedia pampina)

As the nights grow cooler and the days grow shorter, the numbers of individuals has dropped drastically, with the odd exception of Large Tolype Moths. A favorite species of mine, we have had an extraordinarily good season for them this year. I counted 16 individuals two nights ago, which set a new record for our property.

Large Tolype (Tolype velleda)

1. Pitcher-plant Borer Moth (Papaipema appassionata) Hodges#9493. Host: Northern Pitcher Plant

2. Bronzed Cutworm (Nephelodes minians) Hodges#10524. Host: Larva feed on a variety of grasses, including cereal crops and corn

3. Scalloped Sallow (Eucirroedia pampina) Hodge#9952. Hosts: Black cherry, choke cherry, maple

4. Large Tolype (Tolype velleda) Hodges#7670. Hosts: Wagner lists apple, ash aspen, basswood, beech, birch, cherry, oak and other woody plants.

A Tiger Among Moths

Cindy — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 05:31:07 +0000

Rawr!

Great Tiger Moth (Arctia caja)

Exactly a year ago, I was sitting at the computer when my husband came to my bedroom window and said 'Hon, I think you need to get outside to see this moth.'

It goes without saying that I was thrilled beyond words when I saw it was a Great Tiger Moth; a moth that had been high on my wish list for many years. I took many photos of this very approachable moth that night, then moved it further back into the woods, away from all lights. It flew back in to the area around the light by the next day, so I carefully placed it on what remained of our garden flora for a few more photos. Every square cm of this moth was so beautiful. The moth hung around for 2 days and 3 nights, and was never restrained in any way.

Great Tiger Moth (Arctia caja)

Arctia caja is in the superfamily Noctuoidea, and is a species in the subfamily Arctiinae (Tiger and Lichen Moths). According to bugguide.net there are 4 subspecies in North America: A. c. caja; americana; utahensis; waroi - and several more subspecies in Eurasia. The moth is considered uncommon to rare in North America; European numbers have been declining in recent years.

It's raining and quite cold this morning, but I can't help but steal furtive glances at the damp moth sheet now and then; hoping that maybe,.. just maybe, against all odds, this beautiful species will visit us again this year.

Like Motel 6 promises: We'll keep the light on for you.

Great Tiger Moth (Arctia caja)

(2 and 3): Great Tiger Moth (Arctia caja) #8166 Hosts: Deciduous trees, including alder, cherry, poplar and willow.

Mellow Mothing

Cindy — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 06:39:10 +0000

"August: When summer gathers up her robes of glory, and like a dream of beauty glides away."

- Sarah Helen Power Whitman

Barberry Geometer

Moth season has passed its peak here in NE Michigan. The sheet is no longer covered from top to bottom and side to side with insects. It's been a very interesting season, to say the least, with abnormally high temperatures and abnormally low rainfall. Species that I've expected to see have been absent, while others are appearing earlier than past seasons.

Sweetfern Underwing

It's certainly been a banner year for clearwing species. We enjoyed good numbers of them this past spring, and their second brood has proven to be equally as impressive in numbers. My husband managed to capture a short video of a Hemaris Thysbe nectaring within a large stand of wild bergamot last week. Hummingbird Moths are always a delight to watch as they are quite territorial and buzz our heads often. They are very aware of their surroundings at all times and have a curious intelligence about them not often seen with many other species

Barberry Geometer (Coryphista meadii) #7290. Common. Hosts: Barberry. Note: Four Broods.
Sweetfern Underwing (Catocala antinympha) #0766. Uncommon. Hosts: Sweet Fern
Hummingbird Clearing (Hemaris Thysbe) #7853: Common. Hosts: Honeysuckle, Snowberry, Hawthorn, Cherry and Plum. Note: Two broods, often found taking nectar from flowers.

National Moth Week is Here- Check Your Lights and Join the Fun!

Cindy — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 23:10:06 +0000

Many nature enthusiasts are discovering the beauty and huge diversity of moths. It's been a long time coming, but moths are finally getting the respect and attention they richly deserve.

Project Noah Moth Week Patch

It's not too late to set up an 'event' on the National Moth Week webpage. An event can be anything from watching and photographing the moths that show up at your porch light to hosting a large gathering of moth enthusiasts in your yard or in a local park. Moths are everywhere and it only takes one light in the dark to draw them in.

This is the season for Rose Hooktips in our area, which have appeared a bit earlier than past years. Colorful little geometers that I always enjoy viewing. We often see up to 20 on a single evening during their flight times.

Rose Hooktip

Their smaller relative, the Arched Hooktip, usually appears a bit earlier in the season, but we now have both at the light.

Arched Hooktip

Both of these species, as well as many other moths, can be found resting on trees and foliage that is in close proximity to the strong MV light. Its always a good idea to take a flashlight, or wear a headlamp, while searching for moths; they often turn up in the oddest places. If you have lawn furniture, gas grills, etc. in your yard or on your patios and decks, check them for moths; they can usually be found resting on any smooth surface. I always have to check my seat before sitting down while photographing moths because I've almost flattened them more than once :)

I signed up with a great website several months ago called Project Noah. Project Noah allows 'spotters' all over the world to post photos of avifauna, flora, fauna, insects and much more. They've set up a special gallery just for NMW and a day into the event, there are already hundreds of photos of moths to enjoy. it's a very user -friendly and interactive website.

I hope to see your own photos of your area moths on Project Noah and the NMW website!

National Moth Week: Register Your Event and Location Project Noah: Share Your Moth Sightings

Rose Hooktip (Oreata rosea) #6255. Common. Hosts: Birch and Virburnum. Two broods.
Arched Hooktip (Deprana arcuata) #6251. Common. Hosts: Alder and Birch. Two broods.

Same Blog, New Domain

Cindy — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 06:08:11 +0000

Updating websites and blogs is much like identifying and photographing moths- it's a never ending challenge, but one I certainly must enjoy as I do both quite often.

Wordpress was very limited in the features I could include with my blog, so I've now moved the entire site (minus some linkage) to Squarespace, who has hosted my nature photography blog for several years now. Their software and customer service is second to none.

If you linked to my blog in the past, please change your link to: www.mothmagic.com The old site will remain active for a short time, but that tends to confuse google searches so it will be coming down next week.

In the interim, I've been out at the sheet nightly (weather permitting) for the most of the season. I've had uncountable incredible moments while out with the moths. Many new species and many old friends that I haven't viewed in many years have kept me in good company.

The season of Catocala is upon us, so I'm going to keep this short for tonight, but not before I share one of our recent vistors. One of the very cool features I enjoy about this new platform is I no longer have to link the larger size photo up to the smaller images that I post here; just click the photo and a lightbox will pop up, showing the moth in all of it's glory. More magic :)

Once-married Underwing

Once-Married Underwing (Catocala unijuga) #8805. Common. Hosts: Polar and Willow

A Fondness for Prominents

Cindy — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 20:59:32 +0000

One of my favorite family of moths is the Notodontidae. Notodontidae is a family of moths with approximately 3,800 known species. Moths of this family are found in all parts of the world, but they are most concentrated in tropical areas, especially in the New World.

Elegant prominent - Hodges#7924 (Odontosia elegans)

Species of this family tend to be heavy-bodied and long-winged, the wings held folded across the back of the body at rest. They rarely display any bright colours, usually being mainly grey or brown, with the exception of the Dioptinae subfamily. These features mean they rather resemble Noctuidae although the families are not closely related. The adults do not feed. Many species have a tuft of hair on the trailing edge of the forewing which protrudes upwards at rest. This gives them the common name of prominents.

Chocolate Prominent - Hodges#7921 (Peridea ferruginea)

Prominents are always abundant on our property, and I never tire of viewing them. They are usually quite approachable moths, and accept our hands and fingers easily. I enjoy the faces of moths; and while the images aren't very helpful in obtaining id's, I can never resist a portrait of a cute moth face. They often look quite 'owlish' :)

White-headed Prominent - Hodges#7951 (Symmerista albifrons)

Elegant prominent - Hodges#7924 (Odontosia elegans): Common Hosts: Poplar Note: Two broods Chocolate Prominent - Hodges#7921 (Peridea ferruginea): Common Hosts: Birch White-headed Prominent - Hodges#7951 (Symmerista albifrons): Common Hosts: Oak

(D. Beadle | S. Leckie, Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America)

National Moth Week is Creeping Up!

Cindy — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 01:37:35 +0000

Waved Sphinx - Hodges#7787 (Ceratomia undulosa)

Yes, you read the title right. National Moth Week. There seems to be a new-found interest in moths; so much so that they've earned their own week to celebrate the diversity of this fascinating family of insects. For those of us who were bitten by the moth bug long ago, this is such a positive thing to witness. It's no longer considered 'uncool' to be a nature geek; and even if it were, the non-moth'ers are the ones missing all of the fun :)

National Moth Week brings together everyone interested in moths to celebrate these amazing insects. This summer, groups and individuals from all the across the country will spend some time during National Moth Week looking for moths and sharing what they’ve found. Getting involved during National Moth Week is easy: attend a National Moth Night event, start an event, join friends and neighbors to check porch lights from time to time, set up a light and see what is in your own backyard, or read literature about moths, etc. Although identifying moths can be a bit overwhelming and daunting at first, there are many websites that have a wealth of information that can help you in that area if you do not yet own a field guide. Check my sidebar for links.

To register your own event or search for an event taking place in your area, visit the National Moth Week Website. The first First National Moth Week is July 23-29, 2012, so you still have plenty of time to organize and register your own event. I had planned on doing a presentation on moths at our local state park, but since that didn't materialize, I'll be enjoying moths right here at home with my husband. Every week is moth week here.

Last week brought another Silver-Spotted Ghost Moth (Sthenopis argenteomaculatus) and 3 new species of sphingidae for our property, including this beautiful Virginia Creeper Sphinx (Darapsa myron). That's the beauty of mothing, you never quite know what species are going to show up, and you don't need a bunch of fancy equipment to enjoy them.

Virginia Creeper Sphinx - Hodges#7885 (Darapsa myron)

Waved Sphinx - Hodges#7787 (Ceratomia undulosa): Common Hosts: Ash, privet, oak, hawthorn, and fringe tree.

Virginia Creeper Sphinx - Hodges#7885 (Darapsa myron): Common Hosts: Virginia Creeper, Ampetopsis, and viburnum. Note: Two broods.

(D. Beadle | S. Leckie, Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America)

Poplar Carpenterworm Moth

Cindy — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 05:29:23 +0000

It's been a productive couple of weeks for moths. Many new species have been coming into the light, including this beautiful Poplar Carpenterworm Moth (Acossus centerensis), that I photographed on 6-5-12.

Poplar Carpenterworm Moth

The moth had been resting under an old wooden bench for a couple of days, and we finally decided to bring it out into the light. I'm so glad we did. Not only is it a new species for our property, it was a stunning moth. Very 'beefy', holding it's wings somewhat like a prominent species; I had to ask for assistance for the id, as it is the first moth I have knowingly documented in the Cossoidea family (Carpenter and Leopard Moths). The wingtips had a brownish tinge, that could only be viewed from the side.

Poplar Carpenterworm Moth

According to BugGude.Net, the species garners it's name after a place in New York called Center, where the first specimens were found in 1877. There are only three Acossus species that occur in America, north of Mexico.

BugGuide.net; RangeNew Jersey to North Dakota northward and west to British Columbia. Also occurs from Arizona to Colorado and west to Nevada. Adults fly May to August Food/host: Populus tremuloides (quaking aspen)

Moth Love

Cindy — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 01:31:47 +0000

"An Io moth rested on the screen, her second favorite moth, whose surprising underwings were the same pinkish gold as her hair. (Her favorite would always be Actis luna, etheral green ghost of the upper forest).’Worn out from your night of moth love’ she scolded–that's what you get’– but of course he’d had no choice. All the giant silkworm family, the Ios and Lunas she admired, did their eating as caterpillars, and as adults had no mouths. ‘What mute, romantic extravagance', Lusa thought: 'a starving creature racing with death to scour the night for his mate."(Barbara Kingsolver- A Prodigal Summer)

Io Moth, Male (Automeris io)

The Object of His Affections:

Io Moth, Female (Automeris io)

Atomeris Io #7746 (Automeris io): Common. Sexually Dimorphic Hosts: Deciduous trees, shrubs, and plants, including clover, corn, maple, oak and willow.

(D. Beadle | S. Leckie, Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America)

Charmed by Clearwings

Cindy — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 02:03:34 +0000

I always have such good intentions when it comes to keeping up with this blog- but I spend so much energy on birding during the day time hours in the spring, then hanging with the moths each night (weather and energy permitting) that I honestly have no extra 'umph' to write about my sightings and experiences. This season started off with a bang, but our roller-coaster temperatures and weather conditions have resulted in very sporadic nights at the sheets thus far. I had a most incredible and delightful experience at our local state park earlier this month. While stalking warblers and other migrants that were buried within an old stand of lilacs, I noticed dozens of Hummingbird Clearwing Moths (Hemaris thysbe) flitting around the blossoms. Dozens! I had never witnessed such a large showing of clearwing species ever. They're highly territorial moths and would often buzz my face and head while I photographed them.

Hummingbird Clearwing Moth(Hemaris thysbe)

There were also many Slender Clearwings (Hemaris gracilis) and Snowberry Clearwings (Hemaris diffinis) among the large numbers of nectaring moths that day. I spent at least two hours observing and photographing them and found it difficult to pull myself away from all of the action when I finally did leave.

Snowberry Clearwing Moth (Hemaris diffinis)

Hemaris Thysbe #7853: Common. Hosts: Honeysuckle, Snowberry, Hawthorn, Cherry and Plum. Note: Two broods, often found taking nectar from flowers. Snowberry Clearwing #7855: Common. Hosts: Snowberry, Dogbane and Honeysuckle. Note: Two broods, diurnal.

(D. Beadle | S. Leckie, Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America)

Note: All images are clickable and will take you to the larger size image at my photo galleries.

Hot off the Presses

Cindy — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 01:25:29 +0000

I guess it's a bit obvious, since I haven't posted on this blog since July of last year, that I lacked the time to keep up with the blog. I almost deleted it twice, but it seems like each time I had thoughts of hitting the delete key, I would receive an email or message from someone about the hobby of moth-ing. Mothing is much more popular now than it was when I first started photographing and identifying species on our property over 12 years ago- and that's a wonderful thing. Moths, for the most part, are beneficial insects and need all of the good press they can muster. So many people are unaware of the beauty that lies right out their own doors and it doesn't require a whole lot of sophisticated tools and expensive gear to enjoy moths.

But what mothing DOES require is patience and a desire to learn- and tools to identify them with. Those tools have been few and far between over the years, but times are changing.

The long awaited Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America is now available in certain book stores- it still has a release date of April 17 at Amazon.com, but rumor has it that Barnes & Noble has been shipping out copies.

(You can also order a signed copy of the guide from author Seabrooke Leckie at her website.)

Last month, we had a very unseasonable warm-up in our area, which brought a couple of dozen early moths to our mercury light. I'd never photographed moths in early March before. Most were sallows (Noctuidae), but I had a few odd plume moths and other species show that I don't normally view until late April or early May. We've experienced several hard freezes since then, so we're back to waiting for warmer temperatures again. And as always.. moths are SO worth the wait.

fur-cu-la

Cindy — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 07:05:20 +0000

Furcula (New Latin): a forked process or part: as a : wishbone b : the forked leaping appendage arising from the fourth abdominal segment of a springtail

I've been visiting my moth sheets on a regular basis this summer and have been very lax about keeping up with this blog. I tend to wait until winter season before I edit and identify many of my photos, simply because I'd much rather be outdoors this time of year. But what a great moth season we've had thus far! I've encountered many new (to me) species and the time spent mothing is absolutely priceless.

It's easy to see where the furcula species garner their common names. My friend and fellow moth-er Allen Chartier shares this most amazing image of a Gray Furcula larva, that shows it’s forked terminal appendages well (how cool is this!?). Thanks Allen, I learned something new today :)

They're quite a handsome genus and I was quite happy to replace some of my older photos of this species with newer images. (Not necessarily better, since my macro lens is totally messed up and isn't functioning well in low light)

Gray Furcula Moth (Furcula Furcula cinerea)

Gray Furcula: Food: Aspens, birches, poplars and willows Range: Common throughout our area; April-Sept. (C. Covell Jr, Moths of Eastern North America)

Gold Dust

Cindy — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 02:44:35 +0000

Topiary Grass-veneer Moth (Chrysoteuchia topiaria)

The sorcerers of the Yaqui Indians of Mexico refer to the moth as a symbol of knowledge. In the book Tales of Power by Carlos Castaneda, the moth is such a central figure it is included as the major character on the cover of the book. It is revealed by Don Juan, a Yaqui sorcerer, “knowledge is a moth.” He expresses metaphorically that “the moths are the heralds, or better yet, the guardians of eternity,” for some reason, or for no reason at all, they are the depositories of the gold dust of eternity. He continues, “the moths carry a dust on their wings, a dark gold dust. That dust is the dust of knowledge.” “Knowledge comes floating like specks of gold dust, the same dust that covers the wings of moths.” “The moths have been the intimate friends and helpers of sorcerers from time immemorial.” Don Juan adds, “Moths are the givers of knowledge and the friends and helpers”

(Lepidoptera Symbols Relating to Wings and The Body, Ronald A. Gagliardi)

It's Moth Season

Cindy — Tue, 31 May 2011 23:03:44 +0000

The moths have been flying here for some time now, and I'm determined to hang the moth sheets as often as I can this season. Mothing is in my blood, and my ongoing health issues have made what used to be quite a relaxing and enjoyable past-time more than a bit complicated and tedious; but I have always embraced a challenge. Identifying moths is a challenge in and of itself, so the extra work it takes for me to get out to the sheets is more of an annoyance than anything.

We've had a very unseasonably cold spring season this year, with more than the normal amounts of rainfall, but it finally warmed up and cleared up long enough this past weekend to get outdoors. On Sunday, there were many sphinx moth species on the garage wall, and I was delighted to come across a Small Eyed Sphinx (Paonias myops) among them.

The following evening I hung the sheets, but not as many moths came into the lights as the previous evening. There was quite an abundance of June bugs and at one point when I sat on my walker to try to adjust my camera settings, a very large field mouse scurried around the corner of the garage and came within a foot of me, before it seemed to notice me sitting there. I'm not sure which of us was the most startled :) Not many insects give me the heebie jeebies, and our light attracts a wide variety of them, but the large 2-3 inch Uhler's Water Bug (Lethocerus uhleri), commonly called the Giant Water Bug certainly does."

Uhler's Water Bug aka 'Toe biter'

These guys are true bugs and are aquatic. There was a time when they were called "Electric Light Bugs" because they commonly come to lights. They are also sometimes called "Toe Biters" and they can indeed pack a wallop for an unwary wader with their beak filled with painful fluids that break down their prey's tissues (which can include small fish and tadpoles.). In any case, I won't be wearing my flip-flops around the sheets until the season for toe biters is over ;)

One-Eyed Sphinx Food: Birches, Hawthorns, Poplars, Prunus species, Willows. Range: Common throughout our area; May-September (C. Covell Jr, Moths of Eastern North America)

A Ghost of a Moth

Cindy — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 23:22:27 +0000

I'd planned on making a post about this very unique moth species on Halloween.. but I had also planned on keeping this blog active over the late summer, with hopes of photographing and documenting new species at my moth sheets (that never got hung btw, due to weather conditions or health issues) Since the onset of my illness, many of my best intentions do not always materialize, so I've learned to just go with the flow, as it's much less frustrating on my part.

This Silver-Spotted Ghost Moth (Sthenopis argenteomaculatus) was a very special sighting for me back in June of 03. I'd never viewed a moth quite like this one before, and it seemed to possess the combined characteristics of a silk moth and sphinx moth both. What I'd found was one of the largest of all micro moths, the only member of the Hepialidae (Ghost Moths or Swifts) that is mentioned in Covells.

The larva bore in roots of alders that are partially submerged in water. The life cycle of Sthenopis argenteomaculatus takes two years to complete. Adults are short lived and do not feed. The darting, zig-zag flight of these moths at dusk, prompted the common name 'swifts'. Since they seldom come to lights or bait, they are quite rare in collections, but may be numerous when found in mating swarms.

The Hepialidae are avery primitive family of moths, tracing back to an early time in moth evolution. After reading how very uncommon these moths are, I felt more than a bit fortunate to have had one appear at my sheets. Fellow moth-er and friend John Himmelman, who was always so very approachable when it came to helping me with id's the past, has also had a ghostly visitor on his own property, during the same time period that I photographed the above moth. We both posted regularly to the yahoo moth group back then, and we would often view the same moths emerging during the same time periods. Wonderfully uncanny.. and maybe even a bit spooky :)

Identification: Gray to tan FW crossed by irregular dark bands. Note silver dot near base and silver triangle beyond it. Wingpan 6.5-10cm. Food/Larva bore in roots of partially submerged alders. Range: N.S. to VA, west to Minn., June-August. (C. Covell Jr, Moths of Eastern North America)

White-spotted Sable Moth

Cindy — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 23:27:07 +0000

The white-spotted sable moth (anania funerbris glomeralis) is a quarry I've chased through many grassy fields over the years. Their flight patterns are very short and glimpses of them are always quite brief. These tiny moths have very distinctive and bold patterns and they also possess a curious habit of hiding and resting on the underside of leaves, making them very difficult to find once they land.

Although these attractive moths are quite numerous in my area, I can count the images I've taken of them away from the moth sheets/artificial lights on two fingers. Although many lepidopterists gather moths in live traps them place them in a refrigerator so that they may 'pose' them while in a torpor state for photos at a later time, that is something I've never personally done myself. Quite like with birds, I enjoy the chase and the chance encounters that I always find so personally satisfying while out in the field, watching their behaviors in their chosen environs instead of my own. While photographing birds at a wetlands area downstate yesterday afternoon, several white-spotted sables were bouncing around nearby in the breeze.. tiny grass dancers that always catch my attention while they explore their emerald worlds.

The somewhat hectic days we've spent enjoying migrant birds are starting to wind down as many species are now nesting or already tending to their young. Since I've never been comfortable photographing or unnecessarily disturbing birds during this most crucial time of their life-cycles, I hope to be spending more time observing and documenting moths very soon.

Covells- no mention

(According to Munroe (1976) and Forbes (1923), the principal host plant for Anania funebris glomeralis is goldenrod. Munroe indicates an adult flight season in May and June in eastern Canada, whereas Forbes gives the flight season as June and July. Common.)

So Many Wingeds, So Little Time

Cindy — Sun, 02 May 2010 07:14:36 +0000

Spring migration is upon us, with many migrant birds arriving daily. I have yet to hang out my moth sheets, but I did get manage to at least wash them so they'll be nice and white once I don my mosquito netting in place of my birding hat. I hope everyone is having a productive moth season thus far and I hope to join you all in the fun very soon.

The Moth and Me #10

Cindy — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 23:29:25 +0000

Seabrooke, of The Marvelous in Nature is hosting the latest edition of The Moth and Me blog carnival. A fine lineup of moth-related posts from A-Z.