|
|
Post by mothman27 on Jul 1, 2019 4:03:36 GMT -8
Hi all, I've been having a busy year and a good one for bugs and especially Saturniidae. So far this year I have encountered Actias luna, Hyalophora cecropia, Antheraea polyphemus, Sphingicampa bicolor, Automeris io, Callosamia promethea and most recently, this morning, Callosamia angulifera(see photo). This happens to be all but one of the silkmoth species I have ever found here at my house, missing only Eacles imperialis. The Tulip Tree Silkmoth is the best catch so far as I don't see one every year and she is a female and laid eggs on my sheet. I am raising all of these species except A. io and in addition, Hyalophora euryalus and Amorpha juglandis. Are you having a good year for Saturniidae too? Greetings, Tim  |
|
|
|
|
|
Post by exoticimports on Jul 1, 2019 6:23:18 GMT -8
No, it has been a very disappointing season in the Finger Lakes and lakeshore region of NY!
Through a week ago, the entire spring and early summer were extremely cold and rainy.
Plus, a double whammy, my "Leptraps"-style (not sure if it's Leptraps or another) ballast died, and my double 36" BL was dropped and died. As I am currently looking for work, I can't invest in replacements.
A. luna, which is ubiquitous and can usually found in the morning hanging near the incandescent deck light was unseen thus far. Typically they fly about 3am, so the "Leptraps" kill trap was the best catch method.
T. polyphemus so far is a no-show.
C. promethea used to be very common, to the point of annoying. I've not seen any in a few years, despite finding cocoons in the back yard.
One juglandis last week. Only thing "common" is D. myron and pholus.
Beyond that, T. glaucus is running maybe 20% normal population. I haven't seen them on lilac or rhodedendron this year. The only populations that seem normal are nymphalids.
To make matters worse, the region is inundated with ticks carrying Lyme disease and now deadly Powassan, so I am remiss to go field collecting. When I was a kid in this region I never saw a tick.
In short, my sharable material for the Swap Box thus far stinks.
Chuck
|
|
|
|
Post by Paul K on Jul 1, 2019 7:38:36 GMT -8
Terrible year indeed.
I’m in Canadian Rocky Mountains now and butterflies are much less abundant than years before. The spring was very cold and summer so far is rather cold too in Alberta and Ontario.
|
|
|
|
Post by mswisher on Jul 1, 2019 20:07:34 GMT -8
I completed a collecting trip to a location just outside of Zanesville, OH, May 30th-June 3rd. I live in AZ so I was primarily after eastern Saturniids and I was not disappointed. I was able to get many A. luna, many A. polyphemus, many A. io and dozens of D. rubicunda. Also got a single S. bisecta and a single male C. angulifera. Several new sphingids and many, many new noctuids as well. On the butterfly front, was able to collect my first couple of black form female P. glaucus. I was hoping for C. promethea and H. cecropia, or maybe even C. regalis, but no luck - maybe I was a bit too early?
Back in AZ, I made a trip to Flagstaff looking for Coloradia, but no luck. Next week, I am going after A. randa on the New Mexico border and then monsoon season is just around the corner. This will be my fifth year in a row for the AZ monsoon, so I have collected most of the big stuff, but there are still a few Sphingids and smaller moths that I am after. After that, I'll be chasing fall Hemileucas. Busy summer for sure.
|
|
|
|
Post by mothman27 on Jul 2, 2019 3:46:55 GMT -8
This summer just keeps getting better! Last night's catch:  |
|
|
|
Post by Paul K on Jul 2, 2019 10:27:31 GMT -8
You guys are really lucky, you can collect moths right in your back yard.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post by miguel on Jul 2, 2019 11:31:18 GMT -8
You are lucky,you have many more species than here in East of Spain that my Saturnidae season endend when Saturnia pyri and Graellsis isabelae ended their life circle at the end of may
|
|
leptraps
Banned
Enter your message here...
Posts: 2,397
|
Post by leptraps on Jul 2, 2019 15:56:20 GMT -8
What is the Plusiimae moth. Looks like a Plusia contexta? |
|
|
|
Post by mothman27 on Jul 2, 2019 18:03:30 GMT -8
This summer just keeps getting better! Last night's catch: What is the Plusiimae moth. Looks like a Plusia contexta? It's actually Megalographa biloba, not quite as nice as Plusia contexta of which I have found but one specimen. Still, a cool looking moth. |
|
leptraps
Banned
Enter your message here...
Posts: 2,397
|
Post by leptraps on Jul 3, 2019 4:50:30 GMT -8
Megalographa biloba was my second guess. From your photo it appears to be more gold in color than biloba.
I encounter Megalographa biloba every year. Not abundant, be regular.
A number of years ago while collecting in the UP of Michigan, I collected a dozen Plusia contexta in a single light trap. That is the only time I had a multiple collection. I normally get singletons.
|
|
|
|
Post by coloradeo on Jul 3, 2019 11:05:24 GMT -8
I am currently on my annual Northern Wisconsin collecting trip. The season must be about 2-3 weeks behind here in my experience of what I would usually catch at July 4th. I am being inundated with A polyphemus, A luna and some Dryocampa rubicunda — the luna, if I would catch them at all at this time should be damaged, but I am getting very fresh males and female Polys that I don’t normally catch this late. Further, the sphinx moths loading my sheets, almost to the point of (but not quite) what I have done during the AZ monsoon. With a dark moon, temperatures into the 80s during the day, high humidity and things being late but good weather all coming together, things are bursting here. Lastly I caught what is probably a ghost moth, the Silver Spotted, in a bucket trap but so damaged as to be nearly unrecognizable. I will try there again tonight and see if there are any ghosts about.
In Colorado things have been slow and late. Further, I have been gone a lot. However, I have caught Coloradia doris and Coloradia luskii over two nights out with too much moon.
Eric
|
|
|
|
Post by mothman27 on Jul 11, 2019 8:03:34 GMT -8
This male is just off the board. For the first time I collected a more southern looking male, see above photo. After looking at bugguide I cannot find a more northerly record of this southern form. Is it common to encounter two forms at one location?  |
|
|
|
Post by Paul K on Jul 11, 2019 8:40:29 GMT -8
This male is just off the board. For the first time I collected a more southern looking male, see above photo. After looking at bugguide I cannot find a more northerly record of this southern form. Is it common to encounter two forms at one location? I collected same looking specimen about 80km south of Sudbury, Ontario. This should be ssp.pini |
|
|
|
Post by 58chevy on Jul 15, 2019 12:04:51 GMT -8
mothman 27,
The E. imperialis in your photo is typical of the ones I encounter in east TX, although there are other forms here as well (including the orange form). What do the more northerly forms look like?
|
|
