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Post by vabrou on Feb 13, 2022 7:14:31 GMT -8
I have had numerous memorable field trips over the past half century here in Louisiana, where I picked up Actias luna adults for 4 hours straight and moved on to other things in the later 6 hours of the night. I have been on field trips where I have captured over 200 hawkmoths in one night, and others where I have captured hundreds, even a thousands and more Catocala in a single night and so on. These usually involved one High-wattage light trap (1,000 watt MV, or sometimes two 1,000 watt MV lamps and sometimes added 4-5 (275 watt sunlamps, and others). Though nothing compares to the 124 million insects I captured with numerous traps at my home location in one night. Here is a picture from a 4-day/3 night trip I made to one of the Kisatchie National Forest areas in Louisiana. I have collected at this same wilderness area for about 40 years in Field trips. I'll attempt to follow up with more images in this thread. This first image shows some of the hundreds each of Saturnids, Sphingids, Catocalas, clearwing moths, ....and other insects taken in that trip.  |
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Post by vabrou on Feb 13, 2022 7:16:38 GMT -8
more from same Kisatchie Nat. Forest trip.  |
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Post by vabrou on Feb 13, 2022 7:16:57 GMT -8
More from Kisatchie trip. Ready to pack up captures and return home.  |
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Post by jhyatt on Feb 13, 2022 7:34:00 GMT -8
Somehow my more memorable field trips seem to be the ones with negative results, at least as far as Leps are concerned. I once hung up
a light sheet in west Texas and brought in literally a gallon of blister beetles, and nothing much else. And I once had a bait trap so full of bald-faced hornets that it could practically fly off by itself... I didn't see their nest in the tree when I hung the trap! And then there are the times I've found only a wing or three from some really desirable Catocala in the bottom of the trap, after some predatory wasp or reptile had gotten to them before I did...
jh
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Post by vabrou on Feb 13, 2022 7:48:23 GMT -8
Cargo trailer for field trips, 6,000 watt gasoline generator, 1,000+ feet of extension cords, four light traps, weed whackers, 40-50 gallons of gasoline, other traps, tools, sometimes a small refrigerator or refrigerator/freezer (great when it is 100 degrees in the shade and there is no shade, frozen daiquiris are a treat), also food, potable water, etc  |
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Post by vabrou on Feb 13, 2022 7:49:20 GMT -8
Aug. 1980 Weyanoke La. one night, one trap. Note all those regal moths.  |
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Post by vabrou on Feb 13, 2022 8:52:12 GMT -8
Jan 29-2017 Coastal Marshes Louisiana (L-R) Mike Lefort, Bill Garthe, Michael Lockwood, behind camera Vernon Brou Our target species was Automeris louisiana Ferguson & Brou  |
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Post by vabrou on Feb 13, 2022 8:53:55 GMT -8
Kisatchie National Forest, Louisiana, Field trip.  |
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Post by vabrou on Feb 13, 2022 9:01:06 GMT -8
Automeris louisiana, Coastal Marsh, Louisiana, USA  |
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Post by vabrou on Feb 13, 2022 10:02:03 GMT -8
Habitat of Automeris louisiana Ferguson & Brou in coastal Louisiana
There are very few trees in the habitat for this species, as this species of saturnid feeds upon a marsh grass, genus Spartina. 
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