Chalky Wave (7158)

Scopula purata

Family Geometridae, subfamily Sterrhirnae

Photograph copyright by Tony Leukering

10 June 2012

Steelmantown bog

CMMP block D12

Distribution map

Like Horned Spanworm, Chalky Wave is a geometer, readily discerned as such by its spread-wing posture at rest. Though it may not appear so in this picture due to the strong focus on the moth, when I found it, I initially passed it off as a bird dropping. Fortunately, I looked closer! Even a quick glance at the distribution map will provide the information that the species seems to have a strong coastal-plain affinity. Whether this apparent affinity is real or just an artifact of poor sampling -- and the few number of locations might well indicate that -- is unknown. However, given the few records, even on the heavily human-populated East Coast, I suspect that the species is probably tied to some rarish host-plant species. Given that we apparently do not know what that host plant is and that none of the usual picture sources (Bug Guide, BAMONA, and MPG) have a photograph of the caterpillar, I think that my hunch may be correct.

Another feature of this picture is that, upon finding the beast, I rummaged through Beadle and Leckie and found a depiction that looked very similar. Yet, when I posted this picture on my Flickr site, another Flickr member suggested that it was not, in fact, Large Lace-border, the species in the field guide that I had picked as the ID of this moth. I found that, going through MPG, that person was correct and it was confirmed as correct on Bug Guide. So, yet another lesson learned. Again. (Is that really "learned," then?) Just because something in the moth field guide looks quite close, check all of the resources available, because the field guide(s) cannot possibly cover all of the possibilities and all of the variations within those possibilities when dealing with moths.

Arge Tiger (8199)

Grammia arge

Family Erebidae, subfamily Arctiinae

Photograph copyright by Tony Leukering

22 June 2012

West Cape May

CMMP block X02

Distribution map

The tiger moths are another of my favorite groups, again because of the family's relatively conservative shape that makes most species immediately identifiable to the group. Additionally, many tigers have distinctive, pleasing, and/or interesting forewing patterns. Many species have hairy, furry, or wooly caterpillars that get them distinctive names of their own. Tigers have a strong following among moth-ers, as exemplified by the fact that of the ridiculously low number of moth species recorded in the county before I and, particularly, Mike Crewe started working on them here (63), nearly one-sixth (10) are tigers, including Arge Tiger. As a brief aside, most of the rest of those 63 species are of two families: silk moths (Saturniidae, 14 species) and sphinx moths (Sphingidae 32 species)! In fact, only  one other family is represented, the Notodontidae (prominents).

Arge Tiger is one of the striped species that are particularly appreciated by moth-ers. Unlike most of them, however, Arge sports hindwings that are primarily pale, with some dark spotting; most have colorful hindwings, dominated by reds and yellows with contrasting bits of black. I would provide a link to a picture of the caterpillar of the species, but neither the MPG nor BAMONA pages have one as of the writing of this essay.

The individual subject of this essay was captured by Mike in his moth trap a few nights ago. I got to help go through the hundreds of moths (and hundreds of a large variety of other arthropod beasties) the next morning, when I took the above photo. Mike, who has spent a lot of time mothing in the U.K., particularly in Norfolk (for which see the incredible Norfolk moth site; here is a link to a species page), so knows oodles more than do I about moths. When he runs the trap, he endeavors to keep track of counts of every species. As he's relatively new to our moths, he keeps various ID references handy. Though I don't think that his tally is complete from that night, the last I heard, the species list was up to 75!  [28 July 2012 addendum:  The final tally from that night was 91 species!]

[A scene from the Crewe residence on the morning of 22 June 2012 with the new Beadle and Leckie field guide, a three-ring binder with -- apparently -- every plate from the MPG site printed, and the day's tally of common species from the trap. As with all photos on the site, click on the image to see a larger version.]

Epione Underwing (8773)

Catocala epione

Family Erebidae, subfamily Erebinae

Photograph copyright by Tony Leukering

26 June 2012

Woods Road "square-doughnut field" (nw. corner of county)

CMMP block B07

Distribution map

The lovely beast that is the subject of this post, one of the larger underwing species, was found by Mike Crewe as we (along with Megan Crewe) were wandering in the northwest corner of the county today. As can be seen from the distribution map on the MPG site (that is, if you check on the map sometime before it gets this record added to it), you can see that the species was previously unknown from most of New Jersey.

The underwings are a favorite among moth-ers (I guess that we need that hyphen in there!) and collectors, probably due to many species' striking hindwing color and pattern and their exquisite forewing patterns. Ebione Underwing may have amongst the most exquisite of the latter. As noted in the Io Moth essay, those underwings with bright hindwing patterns probably use them as a startle feature. This underwing, however, does not have a hindwing with yellow, orange, or red and I know not whether they are a startling species. In the above picture, we can just see a bit of bright white border on what might be a black hindwing. Fortunately, before the beastie arranged itself in this posture on the trunk of a Pitch Pine, it was perched in a more-revealing pose (below), one that allows us to see that, indeed, the hindwings are mostly black.

Maple Callus Borer (2554)

Synanthedon acerni

Family Sesiidae

Photograph copyright by Tony Leukering

20 June 2012

Belleplain State Forest HQ

CMMP block F09
Distribution map

The family Sesiidae, the Clearwing Borers, is an interesting moth family, members of which are often mistaken for hymenopterans (bees, wasps), which is, of course, the idea. They are primarily day-flying species, though this post's subject is the only such species that somewhat regularly comes to lights at night. As indicated by both the species' common and species names, the larvae consume maple. However, they do not eat leaves, but wood, boring into twigs, roots, branches, and trunks. The quite-similar-looking species Red Maple Borer (2546) has a more extensive black forewing tip and only one black patch on the interior of the forewing. And it does not come to lights at night. The various species of the family are difficult to locate, despite being diurnal beasts. Careful scrutiny of larger flowering plants, such as Joe-pyeweed, dogbane, and milkweed, may reveal their presence.

Virginia Creeper Sphinx (7885)

Darapsa myron

Family Sphingidae

Photograph copyright by Tony Leukering

28 May 2012

Lake Nummy, Belleplain State Forest

CMMP block F08
Distribution map

The sphinx family has always been one of my favorite moth groups, for a variety of reasons. The primary reason may be that, for moths, their jet-fighter wing shape and stout bodies make them easily discernible in the field. Despite this stereotypical sphingid shape, there is quite a bit of variation within the family, in size, color pattern, posture, and feeding habits. The family even boasts a relatively substantial number of day-flying species, particularly the clear-winged species that act as hummingbirds and are often mistaken as such by laymen.

As this post's subject species' primary host plant -- amazingly enough, Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) -- is so common and widespread, so is the species. Though Virginia Creeper Sphinx comes in a variety of colors, the pattern of color is fairly consistent, and the white shoulder braids make for an excellent first clue to identity.

Southern Flannel (4647)

Megalopyge (Lagoa) opercularis

Family Megalopygidae

Photograph copyright by Tony Leukering

17 June 2012

near Green Creek

CMMP block Q06
Distribution map

Though I have already treated a very close cousin of this post's subject, there are two reasons that I return to the Megalopygidae's type genus. The first is because these things are just too darned cute! I'll get to the second shortly. The other night I was sitting around in my house and got a wild hare to go check lighted signs for moths, because I did not feel like driving all the way up to Belleplain State Forest, my usual mothing destination. I also wanted to spread my effort around the county, as Mike Crewe and I are attempting to do an extensive atlas or mapping project for the county. So, I drove to Cape May Court House and back, visiting a bunch of lighted signs, some of which had few moths and none of which had anything like overwhelming numbers of moths.

I found this flannel at my very first stop, the King Nummy Campground along Hwy 47. In fact, it was the first moth that I photographed that night! Because I had recorded no moth species for the block (Q06), I photographed it to remind me to record it. And, of course, because flannels are just too darned cute! Upon going through my pictures at home the next morning, I noticed that the beast did not look quite like Black-waved Flannel, which is the only species of such that I had identified here. The color on the upper part of the wings was darker, ruddier, with a distinct yellow semi-collar. The pattern near the wing margins was also not quite right. Finally, it has much more extensive black on the legs than does Black-waved. I knew that Southern Flannel's range got into Maryland, but I didn't think that the species reached New Jersey. So, I checked the MPG site and, yowzer (!), that was the correct ID and the species was unknown from north and east of Maryland! Woo-hoo, first state record!

Of course, when mothing, it's fairly easy to find first state records, because we know them so poorly. Mike Crewe has garnered a host of first NJ moth records, but this was the first that I'd found, that I knew of. Recently, though, I have been checking the MPG site more for occurrence data than solely for ID help, and note that my extensive set of moth pictures from this spring includes quite a number of "first" NJ records (though Mike has, undoubtedly, already scored a few of those). But, hey, flannels are cute and this one was my first state first, hence the blog post.

News Flash Addendum!

Mike Crewe and I independently found Southern Flannels much farther north in the county, both finding them at the Belleplain State Forest HQ (block F09), Mike with six there on 24 June, and I found five there on 25 June (pic below). I may have to go look for the species in Cumberland and/or Atlantic counties!

Io Moth (7746)

Automeris io

Family Saturniidae (silkworms), subfamily Hemileucinae (buck moths)

Photograph copyright by Tony Leukering

15 June 2012 (male, upper), 17 June 2012 (female), 13 June 2012 (male, lower)

Belleplain State Forest HQ

CMMP block F09 (males), S08 (female)
Distribution map

The Io Moth is quite attractive, with its extensive yellow (male) or bronzy-gray to purplish (female) wings and long, furry yellow forelegs. However, this species presents our first example of a particular phenomenon scattered widely through Lepidoptera, particularly among moths, and present in quite a few other orders of insects (and, in fact, even in some vertebrate groups). That phenomenon is the presence of an appearance feature that is startling, with its presumed aim at causing would-be predators a bit of consternation and, thus, to forgo eating the startling individual insect. In quite a few moth species, this startling effect is created by a vague or precise representation of vertebrate eyes, usually one that can be suddenly uncovered. The male Io Moth has both. When at typical rest posture (as above), dark discal patches on the forewings can create the appearance of eyes. However, should a predator ignore that suggestion of a much-larger-and-perhaps-dangerous-to-the-predator animal, the moth flicks spread its forewings to reveal a startlingly strong suggestion of large eyes.