Moths and Memories.

P. plantaginis is actually found in the western U.S. as well. The genus Grammia is large with various species all throughout North America. Many of the 'rare' species are recently described from the western U.S. look similar to each other. Most of the western ones are locally common for a short flight in late June through mid July, with only the males coming to lights. Females are very hard to get, as you pretty much have to rear them from wild collected larvae which are hard to find. I think the larvae of many species are nocturnal which explains why they are rarely found. I'll admit that I'm not that much of an expert on the genus, as I've only collected 7-8 species, but Colorado, Utah, and Arizona have a pretty high diversity of species. Even though most are generalist feeders, they seem to have kind of strict habitat preferences, so rarely do more than 2 species fly together. For example G. blakei prefers sandy areas around 5000-6000 feet elevation. That's where I have collected it anyway.

Yes, well Grammias were kind of a mess. It was known that there were lots of species complexes for a long time, but there is such individual variation among all the species, like most Arctiids, that it was hard to know what was specific variation vs. individual variation. A lot of the species have very similar looking wings, but the differences from species to species have to do with eyes, antennae, and genitalia.

I know a lot of British collectors lament the lack of diversity on the British isles, but I wonder if it was always like that. If you could go back to Roman times and black light I wonder what you would find. With hundreds of years worth of communal grazing of sheep and other poor land management practices, I wonder how many Lepidoptera species went extinct before they were even known. The U.S. has been a bit more fortunate, but some habitats like old growth deciduous forest and prairies have been almost completely wiped out.

I think one of those Schinias is S. jaguarima (pair to be precise), the others I'd have to look up. I'm out in the field collecting Cucullines at the moment. I have plenty of un-IDed western Noctuids too.

The Schinia in the previous post are Schinia annabellae, a new species that will be described in the new MONA fascicle on Heliothinae. Prior to 2012, there were a three previous records reported from east of the Mississippi River. They were thought to be Schinia jaguarina. WHile collecting in the Pine Barrens in Perry County in southern Indiana, I collected over 70 specimens. I gave a series to Dr. Michael Pogue of the Smithsonian who did the DNA and there are new species, Schinia anabellae.

The Perry County, Indiana area has been little collected and studied for moths. In 2012 I collected the area twice a week and collected some interesting moths. One never knows what he will find in his Light Traps in the morning.

I am currently working in the Leavenworth Barrens in Harrison County, Indiana with a research permit from the Indiana DNR. I have collected 12 species of Lithophane and 4 species of Eupsilia in my bait traps this November/December. Collecting Winter Moths is a challenge. Currently we are in the grip of a Arctic cold front. But warm days lay ahead and moths will fly.

The photographs are a side by side comparisons.




Schinia anabellae on the left
Schinia jaguarina on the right.

Joee- I don't know what you're looking for. In the sagebrush dominated areas of the Great Basin, the best little moth collecting, especially for Noctuids is in August. I honestly haven't collected it that much. This summer, specifically in the last week of August, I did spectacularly well especially considering the area I was in. There were long stretches where there wasn't even a weed, just a barren wasteland. Then I hit a dry riverbed where at least some plants were growing in reasonable numbers and got lots of all kinds of rare things.
In the Mojave desert around Death Valley and related areas, it is best in the spring and fall. The eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains have a lot of treasures though. They would probably be your best bet.

You should really collect in Arizona Leroy. You could collect every night from mid June to mid September and probably only have 1-2 bad nights in the whole trip. You'd go home with 1000 new species, and you still wouldn't have half of the species in the state. Not just southern Arizona either. The White Mountains in the eastern part of the state are a treasure trove by themselves. The northern part has most of the Great Basin species. Each mountain range in southern Arizona has different neat stuff, especially the Chiricahuas. The central portion has its set of moths as well. The western portion is mostly desert and has its set too, but it's generally too hot for good collecting in the summer.

The winter moth collecting has been pretty good. Several species of Lithophane have been common. I've even gotten some Drasterias, which is interesting.

Thanks Leroy for sharing some of your amazing experiences!

Your trip to Killpecker Dunes sounds like a great trip, can’t wait to hear all about it.

Every time I open one of your bucket traps I’m amazed to see what I’ve collected. I’ve fashioned a few of my own over the years but none are as good as the original! They take a beating and keep on glowing. I had one 4 day trip this year where I ran 6 bucket traps every night with amazing results.

Thanks again,
Tim

I'm going to do a lot of lighting here in the Reno area and the surrounding areas. I'm also collecting the eastern sierras, including Monitor Pass and the Carson Range. Maybe will hit the Warner Mts. in Modoc Co, California along with some of the mountain ranges in Eastern Nevada. I'm just trying to get a general knowledge of what is over here.