[tn-moths] Re: Anderson Co. FOY's and a "possum-playing" moth
- From: "Nichols, Barry (KYTC)" <Barry.Nichols@xxxxxx>
- To: <tn-moths@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 13 Jun 2011 16:51:22 -0400
De nada.
I really do recommend winter mothing if you like seeing moths. It’s a whole
new world and a blast being in the woods when it is that quiet. You’ll also
see stuff like flying squirrels coming down to feed on moths on your bait
trees, having great horned owls wait until you’re directly underneath them and
wholly engaged in moths before letting loose calls which make ya jump out of
your skin (I did mention quiet didn’t I?), and a lot more activity and behavior
than most people ever see. Winter is a great time in the woods…and winter
mothing is really interesting.
And someone asked about baits. Heh heh…there are as many bait recipes and
philosophies as there are fishing stories, catfish bait recipes, etc. If I’m
covering a lot of ground, I buy a new pump pesticide sprayer and mix it by the
gallon. The bad is that sprayable mixes are thinner and have a certain amount
of evaporation. The good is that you can cover a lot of ground and re-spray if
you have to. I generally use a combination of apple cider and a lot of
molasses. If you can rot some fruit and strain the oozing juices into it all
the better! You’re going after some sugars and some ferment smell/byproducts.
I thicken with sugar.
However, the better baits were taught to me by a friend. They usually involve
well rotted peaches, molasses, and various seasonal ingredients similar to
them. They end up being so thick you need a paint brush to apply…almost like a
tar. I’ll try to see if I can invite him on here to reflect on baits.
All that said, you should experiment with a lot of different things. Some
baits are better than others for certain groups/taxa. I’ve seen some seasonal
preference shifts as well.
From: tn-moths-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tn-moths-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of klight10@xxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, June 13, 2011 4:33 PM
To: tn-moths@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [tn-moths] Re: Anderson Co. FOY's and a "possum-playing" moth
Interesting! Thanks for the input, Barry!
Kris
----- Original Message -----
From: "Barry Nichols (KYTC)" <Barry.Nichols@xxxxxx>
To: "tn-moths-bounce TN Moth Group" <tn-moths@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, June 13, 2011 12:04:24 PM
Subject: [tn-moths] Re: Anderson Co. FOY's and a "possum-playing" moth
This is a common escape mechanism in a number of moths. You’ll especially see
it with respect to winter moths. Since they are mostly shades and broken
patterns of various grays and browns, you’d be amazed at how hard they are to
find even when you’re close and follow the drop all the way to the leaf litter.
BTW, for those of you who stop sampling when winter hits, you may want to
reconsider. Most winter moths come to bait during the winter…except when red
maples start to flower (usually before most start their lep season) and then
they drop off considerably. Also, if you’re lucky enough to be able to bait
the same trails most of the winter, you should find they produce better.
You might also see page 10 of:
http://bioweb.wku.edu/faculty/marcus/Volume_21_2.pdf
From: tn-moths-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tn-moths-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of klight10@xxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sunday, June 12, 2011 4:39 PM
To: tn-moths-bounce TN Moth Group
Subject: [tn-moths] Anderson Co. FOY's and a "possum-playing" moth
<SNIP>
Last night I spotted a gray moth on the ceiling of the carport. Since the car
was under it, I got into a very precarious position to try to photograph the
moth. I decided sitting on the back window probably wasn't such a good idea ( I
was wondering how I would explain a broken out window to State Farm!), so I got
a jar and very gently nudged the moth into it. When I got down off the car and
onto the carport I noticed the moth had its wings closed and was laying on its
side. I thought, "There is NO WAY I could have killed that moth as gently as I
moved it!" Sure enough, about 5 minutes later it was back up on its feet and
had its wings open. When I touched the jar lid, it pulled that trick again! How
about that, a moth that "plays 'possum"! :) I identified it as 7937 – Furcula
cinerea – Gray Furcula Moth.
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