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Post by mothman27 on Aug 28, 2018 8:58:13 GMT -8
Tree tapping yesterday in Steuben County, Indiana, USA. 12:30-2:30 85 degrees Fahrenheit and very humid. Mixed deciduous and coniferous old growth forest with carious Oaks, various Maples, Eastern Cottonwood, Black Cherry, White Ash, Shagbark Hickory, Black Walnut, Eastern White Pine, Boxelder.
Collected: Catocala parta Catocala subnata Catocala nebulosa Catocala habilis Catocala palaeogama(?)
Saw but could not catch: Catocala maestosa Catocala vidua
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Post by rayrard on Aug 28, 2018 20:56:53 GMT -8
Updating the 2018 list:
Catocala amica C. lineella C. connubialis C. blandula C. andromedae C. ilia C. micronympha C. ultronia C. coccinata C. innubens C. neogama C. nebulosa - now 2 separate sight records this year and one last year. C. sordida C. maestosa - 2 CT records C. palaeogama C. vidua C. obscura C. relicta C. habilis C. judith C. retecta C. epione
C. concumbens - a couple last week C. residua - tapping today C. amatrix - tapping today C. parta - tapping today
Saw a few ilia, vidua, habilis, obscura, and a worn epione the last two nights. Bait was horrible and light was horrible. Tapping is the only way we know Catocala are around these days. I have a hanging bait trap out for a couple days so we'll see. A handful of Harvesters were in the woods too!
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Post by fishnbugz on Aug 29, 2018 9:53:57 GMT -8
In this area, if it's a warm night in season and the bait doesn't produce, then clearly there is a problem with the bait. Light isn't very attractive to many catocalas here either. Take cara for example; I have collected ONE cara at light, ONE while checking a minnow trap under a bridge, and all the rest(maybe 20) in bait traps. Innubens, I have about a dozen from light compared to about a hundred from bait. Neogama about the same as innubens.
I'd wonder more if what is actually happening, is catocala enter the trap within the first hour or two of darkness, and then spend the rest of the night finding their way back out. By morning, it looks like bait traps aren't catching anything. It's common to see 20-30 or more small moths in or around each trap at 10:30pm, but almost none of those tuck in and hide in corners etc. all day. They almost all find their way out, and they probably come back for another drink the next night and do it again. This is my experience from actually doing the checks every night of what is normal for how flat-bottom style bait traps work.
With bait working pretty well on Catocala literally from Louisiana to Quebec, and from Europe to Japan, I'd not be satisfied to say, well, I tried it here and it just didn't work...then again I'm not gonna argue with success either, so about one good report and I'd be tapping trees too! But I'd look hard at my bait's drawing power on other moths, and if nothing's coming to it then I'd blame the bait and try to fix it.
I spent a couple nights in SD earlier this week, and my favorite shed didn't produce anything. I had plenty of amatrix mostly in the traps, but no other catocala and not very many interesting moths at the lights. As I described before, most trapped catocala that I left/ignored at 10:30pm were gone from the trap anyway by 6am. About the only thing I collected was a number of a tiny moth called Rivula propinqualis that is noted as uncommon on bugguide. They don't come to lights or bait, but they were common in the grass in a couple areas.
The one I caught at Dad's last week looks like it might be junctura, I will post a pic when I have more time. When I get busy I often dry moths with the oven and can box them the same day, but this time of year there's no danger of running short on setting boards so I just wait them out.
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Aug 29, 2018 11:48:30 GMT -8
First of all let me ask a couple of question.
1.) What type of Bait Trap do you use. A photograph would be nice. A solid well madeFlat Bottom Bait Traps retains 90% of what enters the trap. A well made Slotted Pan Type Bait Trap retain 95% of what enters the trap.
Visit Leptraps.com and check out the Bait trap design information and also some bait recipes.
I have eleven Slotted Pan Type Bait Traps out. All but one is currently in Scott County, Kentucky. I checked my traps this AM and collected over 100 Catocala moths of which I brought home 45. I will post my results later today on Catocala 2018.
Second,use good bait. Fruit, sugar and water. No alcohol (Beer, Wine, Whisky, etc..), it will turn your bait to vinegar and absolutely nothing, and I mean nothing will come to your trap. Read the articles on my website, Leptraps.com. These are trade, tested and proven effective.
Email me at Leptraps@aol.com with question or for more information.
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Post by rayrard on Aug 29, 2018 19:02:47 GMT -8
interesting about bait.
I put out a bait trap in this oppressive weather in a good Catocala habitat (we had 8 species tapping), and after two days there was NOTHING Catocala in the trap. There were all sorts of small Idia sized moths and some noctuids, and lots of flies and wasps. Some small holes in the trap but not enough for a Catocala to fit, and none of the smaller insects got out. It was basically rotten bananas in a pool of regular molasses/brown sugar liquid bait. I wonder what went wrong but the bait on the trees didn't bring in much at all. I had a stinky batch of molasses/brown sugar/bananas, but it was liquified by adding a Guinness beer from the fridge. Do you think the beer completely ruined the bait despite being so stinky and full of attractive ingredients?
Why didn't the bait trap dominated by rotten bananas not bring in any Catocala at all? It wasn't a fancy trap by any means but it worked last year in the same spot (several cara and a relicta). Is very hot and humid weather not good for bait. Do they like drier and cooler conditions?
We got another C. nebulosa today. That's maybe 4 individuals now for CT.
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Aug 30, 2018 5:29:54 GMT -8
I have said this before and I will say it again.
DO NOT USE ALCOHOL: BEER,ESPECIALLY BEER, WINE, LIQUOR, WHISKY, VODKA, GIN, BOURBON, SCOTT AND MOON SHINE. Did I miss anything?
Once the alcohol mixes with the fruit and sugar it will turn to vinegar. Use fruit, water and Cane Sugar. Brown Sugar contains molasses. The molasses will accelerate the decomposition of the fruit.
Bananas, apples, peaches and nectarines, tap water and sugar.That is all you need.
The bait will be at it's best about 24 hours after setting it out. The next 48 hours it will be at peak. After that it will decay rather quickly. Set out bait for five (5) days and then replace it.
The best fruit to use in a Bait Trap are Persimmons, bar none. Crush them, add a small amount of sugar and some water. Last year was not s good year in Kentucky for Persimmons. Raccoons and Opossums like Persimmons. I got about a peck last fall. This year should be much better.
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Post by fishnbugz on Aug 30, 2018 8:51:14 GMT -8
I ferment the bait for at least 4-5 days before I even start to use it. I haven't had much success with fresh fruit, and I try to minimize the amount of water especially. I started a batch a few days ago by sending several gallons of apples and peaches through the food processor until I had the better part of a 5-gallon bucket full. I don't add anything for a few days, it will liquefy over time. I threw about 10 brown bananas in there too, peels and all. I added a handful of sugar last night and stirred everything up, and it already has more moisture in it than I like without adding any water. I'll probably dump off some of the moisture in that bucket into the bait that I'm using in the traps right now, to re-hydrate it, about an hour before dark tonight. I don't like the bait to be too wet, I want to pile it in the center of the trap and not have a large amount of water running out of it. I have had moths ruin themselves the first year I started trapping, by them flopping about in too-wet bait, this never happens the way I do it now...but I'll probably take water out of the fruit rather than add it. This method has been more successful than any other for me. When I see/smell the bait to be "right", I'll bag it up in ziplocks and freeze it. Beyond that I often gather up the bait, seal it in a bucket, and refrigerate it during the day to extend it's usefulness. I am more interested in moths than anything else, so I don't need bait in the traps all day every day- and it's easier to rehydrate and add sugar when it's together in one batch. Here's the moth I caught at Dad's place last week, probably junctura?
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Post by mothman27 on Aug 30, 2018 10:42:12 GMT -8
I ferment the bait for at least 4-5 days before I even start to use it. I haven't had much success with fresh fruit, and I try to minimize the amount of water especially. I started a batch a few days ago by sending several gallons of apples and peaches through the food processor until I had the better part of a 5-gallon bucket full. I don't add anything for a few days, it will liquefy over time. I threw about 10 brown bananas in there too, peels and all. I added a handful of sugar last night and stirred everything up, and it already has more moisture in it than I like without adding any water. I'll probably dump off some of the moisture in that bucket into the bait that I'm using in the traps right now, to re-hydrate it, about an hour before dark tonight. I don't like the bait to be too wet, I want to pile it in the center of the trap and not have a large amount of water running out of it. I have had moths ruin themselves the first year I started trapping, by them flopping about in too-wet bait, this never happens the way I do it now...but I'll probably take water out of the fruit rather than add it. This method has been more successful than any other for me. When I see/smell the bait to be "right", I'll bag it up in ziplocks and freeze it. Beyond that I often gather up the bait, seal it in a bucket, and refrigerate it during the day to extend it's usefulness. I am more interested in moths than anything else, so I don't need bait in the traps all day every day- and it's easier to rehydrate and add sugar when it's together in one batch. Here's the moth I caught at Dad's place last week, probably junctura? Yes, or maybe Catocala meskei??? I don't know how to tell them apart.
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Post by bugboys3 on Sept 1, 2018 7:14:17 GMT -8
I have had a good week collecting out of the bait trap in the back yard. This past week I have taken parta, amatrix, unijuga, piatrix, retecta, innubens form scintillans, relicta, & angusi. Angusi is totally new to me and may be new to Wisconsin.
So far I have collected 27 species from my one trap. Here is my species list to date in order of when they first appeared: ilia ultronia serena judith grynea mira blandula insolabilis innubens neogama coccinata obscura cara unijuga subnata paleogama meskei micronympha parta piatrix retecta amatrix habilis nebulosa cerogama relicta angusi
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Sept 2, 2018 12:50:20 GMT -8
Using the flat bottom trap, do you have your bait below or above the bottom ring of the trap? I do not know who's trap you have. A Leptraps Flat Bottom Bait Traps has a raised bait platform that 10 inch aluminium cake set's upon. The top edge of the cake pan should be 1/2 inch above the Flat Bottom Ring. As a result, when Lepidoptera finish feeding on the bait, they will fly up into the cylinder. Or they will step over onto the Flat Bottom Ring and up the cylinder. Also, butterflies will always fly up toward the light. When night approaches, they will seek shelter under the solid cloth top. The shroud/skirt was designed to increase the area that all Lepidoptera would use to seek shelter under. The Slotted Pan design works basically on the same principles. Once Lepidoptera enter through the slots seeking the bait to feed upon, when they finish feeding the fly up. Lepidoptera motion is always upward whenever they take flight. Should you make your own bait traps, keep the above information in mind. The Shadow Bottom design I used in Tropic Bait Traps, I have recently designed a Slotted Pan with a Shadow Bottom. I have being using the prototype all summer. When I check my Bait Traps Saturday AM, the Shadow Bottom Slotted Pan had more Catocala moths than any other trap. I also understand that most of us Lepidopterists, and that includes Entomologists as well are poor. Making your own Bait Traps is rather easy. However, I have learned over the years that the construction must be uniform. I have seen traps made with coat hangers, metal and/or plastic strapping, plywood and pieces of bed sheets. If you are satisfied with the results, that is all that counts. For information on Bait and effective baiting, visit www.Leptraps.com. There is a entire vsection devoted to bait traps, how to use them, when and where and how to maintain bait traps and bait, how to make bait and the does and don't. And remember, I am a user of the products I design, manufacture and market. I made my first bait trap in 1974. And I continue to learn more ever year. If you wish to learn more or have any questions or suggestions, email me at: Leptraps@aol.com or you can ask questions here on Insectnet. Beside, I learn from others as well. I will admit, I do not know everything. But I come close. About Bait Traps that is.
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Sept 4, 2018 7:57:50 GMT -8
It has been some time since I last posted. I have been a busy man. This has been a incredible year. I have never seen some many Catocala moths in my Bait Traps, I should also include butterflies. The photographs below are from a combination of Bait Traps and Light Traps. There have been an incredible number of Papaipema moths as well. I have taken several in Bait Traps. I spread 42 Catocala moths last night and another 18 this morning. Not to mention numerous Papiapema moths. I took a number of Basilodes pepita (9781). An absolutely stunning Gold Moth. I checked the Bait Trap in my yard this AM and found 17 Catocala moths. I kept three specimens of Catocala robinsoni. From August 31 thru September 4 I have collected the following species of Catocala. Catocala innubens Catocala piatrix Catocala epione Catocala judth Catocala flebilis Catocala angusi Catocala obscura Catocala residua Catocala retecta Catocala dejecta Catocala insolabilis Catocala vidua Catocala maestosa Catocala lacrymosa Catocala palaeogama Catocala nebulosa Catocala subnata Catocala neogama Catocala ilia Catocala cerogama Catocala cara Catocala amatrix Catocala amica Compared to 2017, this has been an incredible year for Catocala moths. I should say, moths in general.
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Sept 4, 2018 16:55:02 GMT -8
Just click on these if you want to see them bigger. Catocala nuptialis View AttachmentNice specimen. And well prepared.
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Sept 4, 2018 17:04:23 GMT -8
I have two for identification. The first, either subnata or neogama, this seems to be a perfect mix of the coloring of my other subnata and neogama so I don't know which it is. Any opinions? And the second, I am thinking may be ilia although this would be the first time I have collected this species (I know crazy). So just let me know if that's right or not. Thanks! The top two specimens are Catocala neogama. I would like to see the hind wing of the bottom specimen.
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Post by fishnbugz on Sept 7, 2018 22:11:06 GMT -8
This is an interesting meskei from last week, the upper was normal
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Post by fishnbugz on Sept 7, 2018 22:30:05 GMT -8
I'm still catching a few meskei and piatrix here in the yard traps. Hoping to find relicta now that it's September, but they have proven pretty uncommon right here at home. I'm looking for the right night to place traps in some better habitat... Meskei form krombeini
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