I'm seeing more species diversity and numbers with the milder nights this week (only dipped to 60 last night) but new species for the season has slowed to an average of about 2/night. Interestingly, the proportion of lifers to FOY species continues to be about 1 in 3 which it has been all season. Papaipemas continue to delight with up to 3 species coming to my lights nightly. Pale Beauty (Campaea perlata) and Scoparia biplagialis/basalis are numerically the most abundant moths now. Last night I had a lifer underwing, Yellow-banded (Catocala cerogama) and a FOY Dingy Cutworm Moth (Feltia jaculifera). The first day of fall is only 2 days away and the average date of the first frost is just a little more than 2 weeks away so it won't be long before the season is over for me. Hard to believe its coming to an end pretty soon but its been a blast this year! 8802 Catocala cerogama (Yellow-banded Underwing)--LIFER--a distinctive species that has a single yellow band on the hindwing (I captured this one to check the underwing just to be sure); larvae feed on American basswood (Tilia americana). My 15th Catocala for the year. 10670 Feltia jaculifera (Dingy Cutworm Moth)--FOY -- J. Merrill Lynch Echo Valley Farm Watauga County, NC Elevation: 3,400 feet
Attachment:
8802 Catocala cerogama.JPG
Description: JPEG image
Attachment:
10670 Feltia jaculifera.JPG
Description: JPEG image
