Week 21: Summer Slump

Things have been really slow this week just a few moth of note this week.

Magdalen Underwing - Catocala illecta (#8840)
Forewing: 30mm
Also reported in Zone 5

 

Washed-out Zale - Zale metatoides (#8707)
Forewing:  21mm
This species has a partial ST line and a grayish band at the basal end of the wing as best as I could tell from the information available.

Tobacco Budworm Moth - Heliothis virescens (#11071)
Forewing:  14mm
Also reported in Zones 3,5
This species is distinguished from the similar H. subflexa where the ST line runs to the apex of the wing.

While the moths have been slow this week I have had some very interesting beetles at the lights this week.  The first one looked like a cricket but was patterned like a wasp.  With a little bit of research I have identified it as a Longhorn Beetle in the genus Neoclytus.

N. mucronatus

Another Longhorn Beetle that visited the lights this week, while colorful, can be a vector for Dutch Elm Disease.

 

Elm Borer - Saperda tridentata

Week 20: Common Buttonbush

I first became acquainted with the Common Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) when I began photographing butterflies.  I remember my first 4th of July Butterfly Count sitting on the edge of the lake at Daingerfield State Park and watching the procession of butterflies that would visit those funny spherical flowers.  So when we moved to our current house I was ecstatic to find two nice large buttonbush trees by the pond.

This week I noticed that they have started blooming and are attracting a wonderful variety of butterflies.

Spicebrush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus) with its missing orange spot.

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) 

Knowing how much butterflies liked the nectar I figured moths would to; so I set out on a night visit to the pond and was not disappointed.

The most common moth by far was this drab little Pyralid that I have not been able to identify yet.

Maple Looper Moth - Parallelia bistriaris (#8727)
Forewing: 18mm

Little Nymph Underwing - Catocala micronympha (#8876)
Forewing: 22mm
Also reported in Zones 3,5

Week 19: Underwings

Moth of the Week: Catocala Underwings
An incredibly striking family with rather drab forewings and boldly marked hindwings.  There are more than a hundred Underwings in the US but only about 30 are likely in East Texas.

Ilia Underwing

Clinton's Underwing

Precious "Texarkana" Underwing

 

Connubial Underwing

Connubial Underwing

(Note the brown ST band)

 Ultronia Underwing

Using information available on BugGuide and MPG I have compiled a quick reference of the most likely Underwings in East Texas based on size, season and hindwing color.

Hodges	Name	Forewing	Season	Hindwing Color
8770	The Betrothed	25-35mm	June-September	Orange
8771	The Penitent	35-45mm	July-November	Orange
8772	Consort Underwing	25-30mm	January-July	Orange
8773	Epione Underwing	20-25mm	June-August	Black
8774	Little Wife Underwing	25-35mm	May-July	Red
8786	Sappho Underwing	30-35mm	May-July	Black
8787	Aggripina Underwing	35mm	May-July	Black
8792	Widow Underwing	35-45mm	July-October	Black
8793	Sad Underwing	40-50mm	April-November	Black
8794	Tearful Underwing	30-40mm	July-October	Black
8795	Oldwife Underwing	30-35mm	June-October	Red
8798	The Bride	35-40mm	June-September	Red
8801	Ilia Underwing	30-40mm	June-September	Red
8801.1	Catocala umbrosa	20mm	April-August	Red
8832.1	Carissima Underwing	35-45mm	July-October	Red
8834	The Sweetheart	35-45mm	July-September	Red
8835	Delilah Underwing	25mm	May-September	Orange
8840	Catocala illecta	30mm	May-July	Yellow-orange
8842	Married Underwing	20-25mm	June-September	Yellow
8849	Gloomy Underwing	20-25mm	May-August	Black
8850	Herodias Underwing	25-30mm	June-August	Red
8851	Scarlet Underwing	20mm	May-August	Red
8857	Ultronia Underwing	20-30mm	April-September	Red
8859	Precious "Texarkana" Underwing	20-25mm	May-June	Orange
8863	Wonderful Underwing	20-25mm	July-August	Orange
8864	Woody Underwing	20-25mm	June-August	Orange
8869	Alabama Underwing	35mm	May-August	Orange
8872	Clinton's Underwing	20-25mm	May-July	Orange
8873	Similar Underwing	20mm	May-July	Orange
8874	Little Underwing (minuta)	20mm	May-September	Orange
8876	Little Underwing (Micronympha)	15-20mm	May-September	Orange
8877	Connubial Underwing	15-20mm	May-August	Orange
8878	Girlfriend Underwing	15-20mm	May-August	Orange
8878.1	Little Lined Underwing	15-20mm	July-August	Orange

Week 18: A Weekend in Nacogdoches

This past weekend we spent a few wonderful days at Stag Leap Country Inn just outside of Nacogdoches.  This Bed and Breakfast is unlike any that I have been to before; instead of a single house there are several cabins spread out over 200 acres.  The land is covered in rich mixed forest making it a wonderful place for hiking, birding [Stag Leap is part of the Prairie and Pineywoods Birding Trail PPW-E 011] or, yes, even mothing.  Our cabin had two nice porch lights that attracted quite a few interesting moths.

Io Moth - Automeris io (#7746)
Forewing: 35mm
Also reported in Zones 3,4,5,6
Caution: Caterpillars of the Io Moth can sting (Read more at eXtension)
A closely related species A. louisiana occurs on the Upper Texas Coast but lacks markings on the forewings.

Tulip-tree Beauty - Epimecis hortaria (#6599)
While the markings on this moth can vary widely, the strongly scalloped hind wings are a key characteristic.

 Forewing: 28mm

 Forewing: 25mm

Giant Leopard Moth - Hypercompe scribonia (#8146)
Forewing: 35mm
Also reported in Zones 3,4,5,6

This is perhaps the most readily identified moth after Luna Moth. On some individuals the spots are filled but they can still be distinguished from the Wood Leopard Moth (Zeuzera pyrina) by the white on the legs.

Ultronia Underwing - Catocala ultronia (#8857)
Forewing: 28mm

Unlike most underwings the forewing pattern of C. ultronia runs from the base to the tip of the wing instead of across the back.

One more unusual Moth (from Rusk County)
Trumpet Vine Moth - Clydonopteron sacculana  (#5563)
Forewing: 10mm

Moth Poetry
In school this week my son had to write a poem about something that flies.  He said everyone else was doing birds and airplanes and he wanted to be different.  So he wrote a poem about moths.

flying in the dark

finding the light

landing by the light

waiting for the next night