Pasture Grass-veneer (5363)

Crambus saltuellus

Family Crambidae, subfamily Crambinae
Photograph copyright by Tony Leukering

31 May 2012

near Whitesboro

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Distribution map

The grass-veneers are a difficult group of micro-lepidoptera (microleps), which, themselves, form a difficult group of moths. Microleps are the Empidonax or peeps or gulls of the mothing world, with quite a few moth enthusiasts giving them short shrift or ignoring them altogether. It might have been expected that I find at least some of them -- particularly the grass-veneers -- enticing. The genus Crambus is the type genus of the Crambidae, a surprisingly varied group of very small moths. The 97 species of Crambid illustrated in Beadle and Leckie (see first post on this blog) range in size from 4 mm to 38 mm in length, with most under 15 mm. Just so you know, there are 25.4 mm in an inch.

The grass-veneers form a fairly tight group in the subfamily Crambinae; they are generally long and thin, with long, fuzzy palps extending forward from the face, with the hulking monster of the group (at least of those illustrated in Beadle and Leckie) maxing at a whopping 18 mm. By contrast, this post's subject, Pasture Grass-veneer, averages only 14 mm. Most species for which we know the host plant(s) eat grass as larvae (caterpillars). As adults, they tend to be found in grassy places, perched lengthwise on the underside of a grass leaf (as above). Many of the species have wings with extensive white, which is evident when one gets flushed. If one lands on a horizontal perch (such as the broad leaf of some plant other than grass), it quickly runs to the edge and crawls to the underside of the leaf, there to hide until the next large animal disturbs it. Grass-veneers are also regular visitors to lights, so look for their tiny forms among the hulking brutes of what some term the "regular moths."

Pearly Wood-nymph (9299)

Eudryas unio

Family Noctuidae, subfamily Agaristinae
Photograph copyright by Tiffany Kersten

29 May 2012

Burleigh

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Distribution map

The Pearly Wood-nymph is a gorgeous critter that I am still waiting to see. However, the photographer found this individual on her car after a nocturnal rain and sent me the picture. Two of the species' known food plants are grape and Virginia Creeper, both of which are abundant in the county, so I still have hopes of seeing it! The new Peterson moths guide notes the flight period for the area covered by the guide (Virginia and Missouri north through Minnesota, central Ontario and Nova Scotia) as June through August. Thus, Tiffany's moth was a bit early, which is not all that unexpected given the very warm winter and spring that we experienced this year.

Imperial Moth (7704)

Eacles imperialis

Family Saturniidae (silkworms), subfamily Ceratocampinae (royal moths)
Photograph copyright by Tony Leukering

28 May 2012

Belleplain S. F. Headquarters

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Distribution map

Imperial Moth is one of the more impressive of the county's moths, with some reaching wingspans of over 6 inches! The precise pattern is quite variable, but the pale yellow visible here is a large part of any individual's color palette. Size, as in most moth species, is variable, with females being larger, in this case often much larger, than are males. Moth hobbyists checking night-lit walls in the morning can be dismayed by finding the wings of Imperial Moths on the ground below the wall; birds often beat us to the really juicy species! In addition to birds, moths attracted to such lighting can be gobbled up by skinks, spiders, and who-knows-what else. So, while lighting can make it much easier for us to find moths, such lighting can be a deathtrap for many moths. So, this is a plea for moderation in running outdoor lighting -- if it attracts moths, have the lighting turn off well before sunrise to give those moths a chance to return to their regularly scheduled programs.

Red-bordered Emerald (7033)

Nemoria lixaria

Family Geometridae, subfamily Geometrinae (emeralds)
Photograph copyright by Tony Leukering

27 May 2012

Belleplain S. F. Headquarters

CMMP block F09
Distribution map

This post's primary point is to illustrate the great contributions that amateurs can make to the knowledge of moth distribution. While I first took this to be yet another version of Red-fringed Emerald (more on this in a post about that species that will get done at some point), closer scrutiny revealed a few anomalies. The pattern of the red border, the single black discal spot on each wing, and the color and distribution of the abdominal spots pointed to Red-bordered Emerald. There was only one problem, the new guide by Beadle and Leckie did not map the species as occurring north of central Virginia. However, as the authors of that guide will agree, the maps presented are just gross generalizations of distribution, based on ecoregions (see pp. 16-18) and the existing specimen record. Moths are not birds and have not had the intense following by hobbyists that birds have enjoyed. Thus, the ranges of the vast majority of species are exceedingly poorly known. [17 June 2012 addition: The range map of the species on the Moth Photographer's Group page does show the species as occurring in New Jersey.] Though I knew all this, I would have retained a bit of doubt, but the ID was confirmed on Bug Guide (which I heartily recommend for questions of bug ID). Finally, though moths are known to vagrate (yeah, I know, spellchecker doesn't think that this is a word, but I'm using it anyway), the fact that I found a different, much-more-worn individual at the same site the next day suggests to me that the species is resident here.

Black-waved Flannel (4644)

Megalopyge (Lagoa) crispata

Family Megalopygidae
Photograph copyright by Tony Leukering

27 May 2012

Belleplain S. F. Headquarters

CMMP block F09
Distribution map

For the first post on this blog, I considered a number of possible species to present.  I had intended to use Imperial Moth, but ran into the above picture on the way to getting the Imperial Moth photo -- what a cutie!  And so furry!  In late May 2012, Black-waved Flannel Moth was incredibly numerous and outnumbered all other species at the various light sources at and near the headquarters of Belleplain State Forest.

Posts in this venue will be brief, simply presenting a representative picture or pictures of a particular species (with the Hodges number presented in the title in parentheses).  Other bits of information will probably be presented for particular species, particularly details of life history, spatial and temporal distribution in Cape May County, and other odds and ends.