[tn-moths] Re: A night of mothing in NY
- From: "J. Merrill Lynch" <jmerrilllynch@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: tn-moths@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:34:50 -0400
Hugh,
Great account and interesting to see what you get on Long Island. Many
familiar species and many I've never seen before. I've read many of the
saturniids have all but disappeared in the northeast so I'm glad to see that
they are still hanging on in decent numbers, at least locally. Speaking of
exotics, I have yet to encounter a single Noctua pronuba so far this season
(had plenty by this time last year) and I've never seen a gypsy moth in
North Carolina (and hope I never do).
Merrill
On Sun, Jul 24, 2011 at 9:20 PM, Hugh McGuinness <hdmcguinness@xxxxxxxxx>wrote:
> Hey southern Leppers,
>
> I thought you all might be interested in hearing about a good night on
> eastern Long Island. Last Friday I decided to go to Montauk, at the eastern
> tip of Long Island (Suffolk County). In addition to setting up two MV and
> two black lights at a house near Montauk Mountain, I ran four traps at a
> local county park. At the house I found more than 130 species (about 70%
> photographed) and the traps probably recorded more than 250 species
> (although I probably won't count the contents until some time this fall). I
> thought with temperatures in the low 80s until after midnight that I would
> really have a bonanza, and for the most part that was true. I was a little
> disappointed in the lack of unusual Amphipyrines (sensu Hodges) in the
> grasslands at the park, but I really have no right complaining as you will
> see from the highlights:
>
> Lots of Big Stuff
> 1 Luna (Actias luna)
> 6 Polyphemus (Antheraea polyphemus)
> 1 Promethea (Callosamis promethea)
> 1 Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis)--On LI this species only can be found
> in Montauk and Shelter Island--it also occurs in the Adirondacks.
> 5 Royal Walnut Moths (Citheronia regalis)--Montauk is one of two places in
> the state where this species persists
>
> Sphinxes were not particularly abundant but included: Azlalea (Darapsa
> choerilus), Virginia Creeper (D. myron), Blinded (Paonias excaecatus),
> Small-eyed (P myops), Huckleberry (P. astylus), Paw-paw (Dolba hyloeus) and
> Pandorus (Eumorpha pandorus).
>
> Before I go on with the highlights, let me get the bad news out of the way:
> I recorded 3 Sitochroa palealis, an exotic first recorded in Illinois in
> 2002, so it took 9 year to travel the 900 miles from there to here. This
> after last summer's bad news that Western Bean Cutworm (Striacosta
> albicostalis), which is not exotic but a voracious pest species, had made it
> from the Chihuahuan desert to Long Island in some 10-15 years.
>
> OK, more good finds included Anacampsis fragariella, a lifer for me,
> Unexpected Cycnia (C. imopinatus), Alder Snout (Hypena eductalis), which is
> rare and local on LI, the Geometrid-like White-edge (Oruza albocostaliata),
> many Harris' Three-spots (Harrisimemna trisignata), my first ever Long
> Island record for Funerary Dagger (Acronicta funeralis), the poorly known
> Drunken Apamea (A. inebriata--so named because Ferguson was intoxicated when
> he had the epiphany that there were two species included within name
> verbascoides), a couple of Maroon Fern Moth (Fagitana littera), about 10
> Obtuse Yellows (Azenia obstusa), which is rare and local on LI, many of the
> stunning (and rare) Pink Streak (Dargida rubripennis), many of the rare and
> local Inclined Dart (Dichagyris acclivis)--who made up that terrible common
> name? We've got to change that!, Coastal Heathland Cutworm (Abagrotis
> nefascia), and Goldenrod Flower Moth (Schinia nundina), which I haven't
> recorded in five years. I'm sure there are more great species that I am
> omitting, but they will have to await another e-mail. Happy mothing.
>
> Hugh
--
J. Merrill Lynch
Echo Valley Farm
Watauga County, NC
Elevation: 3,400 feet
Other related posts:
