[ncsc-moths] Re: Lithophane question
- From: kjchilds <kjchilds@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: ncsc-moths@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2011 06:07:50 -0800 (PST)
So far we have L. signosa, L. petulca, L. patefacta, and L. hemina suggested as
possible ID's. I checked with my contact and he said his best guess without a
specimen in hand is L. signosa. L. signosa supposedly has significantly longer
wings than other similar species and going by pictures alone, mine 'appears' to
have longer wings than other similar Lithophanes that I can find pictures of in
a similar pose. No word yet from BAMONA but since there have been hundreds,
maybe thousands of moth records submitted recently for TN, I'm not expecting a
quick response.
BTW, there are no mountains in my part of Tennessee. The highest elevation in
west TN is only 669 feet and that's near the Tennessee River.
Ken Childs
Henderson, TN
Chester County
http://www.finishflagfarms.com
________________________________
From: parker backstrom <dpbackstrom@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: ncsc-moths@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wed, February 2, 2011 7:47:07 PM
Subject: [ncsc-moths] Re: Lithophane question
All:
I’ve been very interested in this discussion as well and thought I’d add
another
piece of information that might help fill out the picture. I, too,
photographed
a moth about this time last year that looked to me to fit L. petulca perfectly
(the photos are still labeled as such due to sloth on my part—see attached).
But what little range info I could find about that species did not lead me
ultimately in that direction. Just like any smart naturalist would do … I
turned to someone with a lot more knowledge than I. I sent my images to Bo
Sullivan who with Steve Hall knows as much about moths in NC as anyone. Here
is
his response (I’m not quite sure what he meant to say in the last sentence):
“The Lithophane looks like patefacta to me. It comes in this marked and also
in
an unmarked form (lacking the rusty areas). Of course petulca and signosa have
two forms also but they tend to be larger and sort of washed over with dirty
brown. They are mostly in the mountains as is patefacta but it is the most
common Lithophane in the piedmont and coastal plain. It is also not patefacta
but an undescribed new species. Bo.”
I hope that helps a little bit.
In response to Cecelia’s question about bait, I did what any smart naturalist
would do … I turned to people with more knowledge than I. Never having baited
for moths I very simply combined recipes offered up here by Lance and Merrill
and came up with a concoction that seemed to work pretty well. I took two
rotten bananas and mashed them up as best I could with a fork (I didn’t want to
dirty up a blender if I could help it). To that I added brown sugar, molasses,
and stale beer (Red Stripe, though I’m fairly sure that others would work as
well) as well as a dash of rum. The mixture sat in my garage for a week or so
before conditions—a very mild night—got me off the couch and into the field. I
painted the mixture onto a dozen trees lining a path beside my house.
The results were decent enough for a first attempt. I had more than a dozen
Straight-toothed Sallows (Eupsilia vinulenta – 9933), a couple of Roadside
Sallows (Metaxaglaea viatica – 9944), a couple of Green Cloverleaf Moths
(Hypena
scabra – 8465), and, the last moth of the night, an Ashen Pinion (Lithophane
antennata – 9910), a new species for me. There was also a small noctuid that
flew off when I approached it at one of the trees. It was interesting to note
that light did flush over half of the moths away—most simply folded up their
legs and dropped to the leaf litter on the ground.
The mixture did not go very far—I’m almost out after one application—but I’ll
mix up a new batch soon. Thanks to Lance and Merrill and Paul for their
recommendations. I’ll be interested to try rope dipped in a cheap white
wine/sugar mix hung from tree branches.
Good mothing, all.
Parker Backstrom
________________________________
From:ncsc-moths-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ncsc-moths-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On
Behalf Of lance biechele
Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 11:55 PM
To: ncsc-moths@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [ncsc-moths] Lithophane question
Dear Ed,
Actually there may be three moths involved with Lois & Ken's
report of L. petcula. There seems to be very similar wing patterns
with your Southern form of L. patefacta, while L. hemina and L.
signosa are also very close look-alikes..
I recall a note from Dale Schweitzer concerning my photographs of
Lithophanes here on the Delmarva. There is a masquarding Lithophane
disposita that is quite common here, but actually that species does not
occur this far south on the Coastal Plain.
Unfortunately, that moth still remains unidentified although the "pic"
certainly resembles L. disposita.
Such are the ways of moth people!
With all Best Regards,
Lance
Other related posts:
