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Post by gaspipe on Dec 7, 2020 9:51:45 GMT -8
I have remained indoors for the most part the past several days. There is 16+ inches of snow on the ground and the roadways slicker than snot on a door knob, I have been mounting/spreading both butterflies and moths beginning last Sunday. Last night before going to bed I removed two specimens of Argyrogramma verruca from spreading boards. They are a stunning Plusinae. I collected them at Clay Butte in Wyoming 2009. I aso spread/mounted 14 specimens of Speyeria from the same trip from Douglas Pass, Garfield County, Colorado. Douglas Pass is not especially high at 8502'. It had lots of interesting Leps.? I also mounted 11 yellow Colias from Douglas Pass. I plan to visit both Clay Butte, near Cody. Wyoming and travel/collect the Beartooth Platuea in 2021 Let’s see some photos especially of the Speyeria when they are ready.
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Dec 8, 2020 5:20:47 GMT -8
I awoke yesterday morning to find several more inches of new wet snow. I got rather rambunctious and checked the Bait Trap in my back yard. Not a thing. Only a lot of Diptera. I bottled 100+ flies and a dozen wasps and small Yellow Jackets. I emptied the trap and added bait.
I then removed 50 or 60+ specimens of Lepidoptera from spreading boards. I identified all but two specimens and placed the identified specimens in my collection.
After a lengthy search, I was able to ID my UFO's: Olivia chlorostigma and Eupsilia devia, a stunning female. And, a first for me. I have 16 male specimens, and this is my first female of Eupsilia devia.
I sorted out my flies. I received my copy of "The Diptera of North America. This will take some time.
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Dec 15, 2020 7:44:15 GMT -8
I ventured out Monday AM to check my traps in Mantua Wetlands, then to Killdeer Plains, and then all the way to Lake LaSu An WA in the very Northwest corner of the State of Ohio I am not sure this is a good idea. I will leave the four (4) Bait Traps there until the end of the next warm spell. It is a loooooonnnng way to Lake LaSu An WA. If I would have driven another mile or so I would have seen "The Welcome to Indiana sign".
I an currently sitting at a Ohio Turnpike Rest Plaza.
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Post by leptraps on Dec 24, 2020 3:50:00 GMT -8
GINKO;
I have one here in Florida. bought it at a local plant society sale. kept in a 5 gal pot for over a year. didn't think it would make it. recently planted. Is there something unusual about it from an entomological stand point ? why did you mention it ?
TOM I just thought they were an interesting tree. As I said, I had not found/seen a Ginkgo tree in 25+ years.
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Post by leptraps on Dec 24, 2020 4:31:50 GMT -8
I picked up Ms Sandy and began a journey to check my Bait Traps in Killdeer Plains WA, and then continue the Journey to "Lake LaSu An" in William County, Ohio (Almost in Indiana). I collected about a dozen Lithophane, including Lithophane patefacta, L. oriunda (New to me) L. tepida, L. baileyi and L. viridipallens (also new to me!). I also collected several females Lithophane which I am unable to identify at this time.
Also while at "Lake LaSu An" I had a Bob Cat cross the road in front of me.
It was about a 7.5 hour drive from Aurora to Killdeer Plains to Lake LaSu An and then back to Aurora.
I brought home 66 moths, of which I spread 63.
During my first trip to Lake LaSu An, I collected a Polygonia which I thought was a female Polygonia comma. It is a Polygonia progne.
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Post by leptraps on Jan 22, 2021 11:57:48 GMT -8
After several very long cold winter days, I decided to check my Bait Traps. After checking all five, including the one in my back yard, I found a single Lithophane moth in my back yard Bait Trap.
While driving around the Grand River WA yesterday, I found a large stand of Aspens and the far side of a wetland area. After a rather difficult hike, I discovered that what I thought were Aspen trees, were actually White Birch Trees. I lifted some bark and found a lone Lithophane querquera.I found four males and two females. They currently reside on Spreading Boards. I also found two other Lithophane moths and several small Noctuid moths. The small Noctuid Moths were actually an Apaemon moth.(I think??).
I have not visited Streetmans Woods since September. I will do so latter today. Tomorrow I will set out two Bait Traps.
I will also travel to Killdeer Plains WA and possibly Lake LaSu An WA in Williams County tomorrow. The weather will remain very cold.
I stopped to check out the Tiffin River WA last week. It looks very good. I had the place to myself. I am out of Bait Traps. Should I set out any more Bait Traps, I will be unable to service them properly.
I cleaned and organised my Pheromone Traps for Sessidae moths. I found another source for Pheromone Luers.
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Post by leptraps on Jan 31, 2021 6:15:25 GMT -8
It has been some time since I posted my field activities. My yard in Aurora, Ohio has 9 inches of snow on the ground. I got out this past Tuesday and check all my Bait Traps in Eastern Ohio. Not a single butterfly and only a dozen Lithophane moths and couple of Seregalae. Rather disappointing.
I visited the Berlin Lake WA near Christytown. There are some heavily wooded areas and an extensive area of wetlands that were created when the Mahoning River was dammed for several reservoirs.
Upon returning to my car I saw an old Canadian Pheromone Trap for Sessidae moths. It appears to have been hanging there for several years. I put my business card in the trap and recorded the GPS location.
When I returned home I emailed my contact at the State of Ohio offices who are responsible for all the Wildlife Areas.
This coming Tuesday I will be travelling to Kentucky.
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Post by leptraps on Feb 4, 2021 8:54:39 GMT -8
It is a balmy 9°F.
That is colder than Whale Dodo sinking to the bottom of the Artic Ocean!!
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Post by Adam Cotton on Feb 4, 2021 9:14:42 GMT -8
Is that Celsius or Farenheit? There's a big difference. I assume the latter under the circumstances.
Adam.
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Post by trehopr1 on Feb 4, 2021 11:58:17 GMT -8
I bet Adam is quite comfortable at a balmy 78F (or better) and sipping umbrella drinks on his back porch whilst watching Papilio's nectaring in the wife's flower garden.
Net at the ready of coarse...
A'h to live in a more southerly latitude.
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Post by yorky on Feb 4, 2021 12:09:23 GMT -8
Try Northern England, dark, snowbound and miserable, dark at 4.30pm and nothing flying here for another 2 months.
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Post by Adam Cotton on Feb 4, 2021 12:44:26 GMT -8
I bet Adam is quite comfortable at a balmy 78F (or better) and sipping umbrella drinks on his back porch whilst watching Papilio's nectaring in the wife's flower garden. Net at the ready of coarse... A'h to live in a more southerly latitude. 78F is COOL for me, that's just over 25C which is the temperature my bedroom aircon is set to for sleeping. Daytime temperature in my garden now is about 30C (86F) and right now it's 3.30am here and the outside temperature is 20C (68F). It's late "winter" here now. In early January the temperature can be as low as 50F (10C), but normally it's about 77F (25C) in the daytime and 60F (15C) at night. In the next couple of weeks the temperature will rise quickly to 35C (95F) in the daytime, but stay cool in the night - if you call 25C cool as I do. This rise in temperature stimulates the diapausing butterflies to emerge at the end of February and in March. It can reach a sweltering 42C (107F) in the hot season (late March- mid May), especially if there is no rain, but mostly it peaks at an uncomfortable 40C (104F), and then levels out at between 35-37C (95-98F) for the next couple of months. Adam.
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Post by leptraps on Feb 25, 2021 17:37:51 GMT -8
Now it is still cold in North East Ohio with a high temp of 44°F today. Tomorrow's high temp will be 50°+F. It will remain in the 50°F over night tomorrow.
Moths should be on the wing tonight. I will check the Bait in the six(6) Bait traps that I still have set out.
Spring is just around the corner.
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Post by kevinkk on Feb 25, 2021 21:29:04 GMT -8
Now it is still cold in North East Ohio with a high temp of 44°F today. Tomorrow's high temp will be 50°+F. It will remain in the 50°F over night tomorrow. Moths should be on the wing tonight. I will check the Bait in the six(6) Bait traps that I still have set out. Spring is just around the corner. I have to ask. These bait traps, do you leave them unguarded overnight? Color me paranoid or cynical, there's no way I could leave anything worth more than 2 bucks where it could walk away. I'm sure that sticky fingered people aren't exclusive to Oregon. I got back to my camp one time, and thought maybe a squirrel had run off with my mini tripod, that I'd left on the picnic table, until I looked in the tent.
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Post by leptraps on Feb 26, 2021 1:31:45 GMT -8
Visit www.Leptraps.com. click on Bait Traps. Send me an email to: Leptraps@aol.com and I will send you an article I wrote on Bait traps and Bait. Currently. I only have six (6) Bait Traps set out, including one in my back yard. They are designed to be used 24-7-365. They will collect and retain any insect that will visit the Bait. There are numerours species/ families of Lepidoptera that are active during warm periods in the winter. Those are my favorites. Lithophanae, Noctuidae, and Erebidae I obtain permission to set out my traps in Wildlife Management Area's (WA), private property and National Forests.I also provide a list of species to the those who allow me to trap/collect on their property. I collect Macro Moths, some families of Micro Moths. I stick pins in lots of insects that I collect in my traps for others. And more importantly, "I" am retired. I spend lots of time in the field. If you are new to Insectnet, there are some real Characters here. They are extremely knowledgeable and will freely share their knowledge. They can also be very entertaining. Do not hesitate to post questions. There are some outstanding Entomologist on this site as well. And unfortunately, several of them on this site are just plain "Plug-Ugly".
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