National Moth Week

On Wednesday evening, July 26, three Normanites (including @ehjalmarson) gathered in a field near a wooded area south of Lake Thunderbird and setup a bright light pointed at a white table cloth draped over a ladder. As the sun was setting we took off on a walk and looked for moths and other creatures in the area. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I was hoping maybe I would see a handful of familiar species and, if I was lucky, a few new ones. We immediately encountered a large moth that was unfamiliar to me (Sad Underwing, Catocala maestosa) and continued to see other species we didn't know - as well as a mouse and at least 2 species of frogs.

When we circled back to our light setup we were excited to find that a number of moths and other insects had been drawn to the light. We stayed in place for another 2 hours, photographing every new species we saw. In the end, we documented about 30 distinct species of moths, a few of which we have not yet identified. The most common moth we saw was Grape Leaffolder (Desmia funeralis), followed by Olive Arta Moth (Arta olivalis), and Light-ribboned Wave (Leptostales ferruminaria).

Other interesting sightings include:
Banded Net-winged Beetle (Calopteron reticulatum )
Lesser Ivory-marked Beetle (Eburia mutica)
Rhynchomitra microrhina

It was a very enjoyable and fruitful evening! We all added several species to our life lists.

Posted on 28 July, 2017 14:10 by zdufran zdufran

Observations

Photos / Sounds

What

American Copper Underwing (Amphipyra pyramidoides)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 08:30 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Black-bordered Lemon Moth (Marimatha nigrofimbria)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 08:34 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Pink-masked Pyralid Moth (Aglossa disciferalis)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 08:50 PM CDT

Description

Maybe Maple Webworm Moth (Pococera)

Photos / Sounds

What

American Idia Moth (Idia americalis)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 08:53 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Sad Underwing (Catocala maestosa)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 08:56 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Grateful Midget (Elaphria grata)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 09:05 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 09:10 PM CDT

Description

MANY individuals of this species

Photos / Sounds

What

Fall Armyworm Moth (Spodoptera frugiperda)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 09:23 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

American Copper Underwing (Amphipyra pyramidoides)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 09:26 PM CDT

Description

2nd individual of this species

Photos / Sounds

What

Hollow-spotted Blepharomastix Moth (Blepharomastix ranalis)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 09:33 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Red-banded Leafroller Moth (Argyrotaenia velutinana)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 09:34 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Light-ribboned Wave (Leptostales ferruminaria)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 09:36 PM CDT

Description

Many individuals of this species

Photos / Sounds

What

White Spring Moth (Lomographa vestaliata)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 09:50 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Olive Arta Moth (Arta olivalis)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 09:46 PM CDT

Description

MANY individuals of this species

Photos / Sounds

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 09:47 PM CDT

Description

Not sure about this one

Photos / Sounds

What

Packard's Lichen Moth (Cisthene packardii)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 09:58 PM CDT

Description

packardii or plumbea

Photos / Sounds

What

Gray-edged Snout (Hypena madefactalis)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 10:44 PM CDT

Description

Pretty sure this is the correct ID

Photos / Sounds

What

Faint-spotted Palthis Moth (Palthis asopialis)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 10:39 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 10:28 PM CDT

Description

possibly Garden Webworm Moth (Achyra rantalis)

Photos / Sounds

What

Posturing Arta Moth (Arta statalis)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 10:30 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Filbertworm Moth (Cydia latiferreana)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 10:25 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Lentiginos Moth (Sparganothoides lentiginosana)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 10:12 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Titian Peale's Moth (Perispasta caeculalis)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 10:10 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

White-patched Kearfottia (Kearfottia albifasciella)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 10:14 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Elegant Grass-Veneer (Microcrambus elegans)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 10:12 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Small Baileya Moth (Baileya australis)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 10:54 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Inverse Dichomeris Moth (Dichomeris inversella)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 09:50 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Clemens' Grass Tubeworm Moth (Acrolophus popeanella)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 10:29 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 10:36 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Moss-eating Crambid Snout Moths (Subfamily Scopariinae)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 09:41 PM CDT

Description

Probably biplagialis

Photos / Sounds

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 10:12 PM CDT

Description

Probably a Bleptina or Renia

Photos / Sounds

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 09:41 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Lucerne Moth (Nomophila nearctica)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 10:24 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 10:33 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Mcdunnough's Eudonia (Eudonia heterosalis)

Observer

zdufran

Date

July 26, 2017 10:41 PM CDT

Comments

No comments yet.

Add a Comment

Sign In or Sign Up to add comments