Carolina/Tennessee moth-ers, This is a round-up of the moths I've recorded at my house so far this spring (8 March-10 April 2010). As expected, the list is dominated by moths that over-winter as adults (most of the Noctuids in subfamilies Cuculliinae and Hadeninae, i.e. pinions, sallows, and quakers). The first moths appeared the night of 8 March when ambient temperatures at dusk were around 40 degrees. Things really picked up during the heat wave of April 3-7 when dusk temperatures were around 60 degrees. I use a combination of black light fluorescent, mercury vapor, and white flourescent lights set up with sheets. I also had good luck with a sugar bait mixture painted on a tree in the side yard. I photographed almost all of my moths in the list below. I'm at 3,400 feet elevation in the New River watershed in the Amphibolite Mountains of the Blue Ridge. Most of my moths have a more northern distribution and extend into North Carolina primarily in the higher elevations of the southern Appalachians. Here is the list (pretty complete except for a few micros I'm still trying to figure out): 1. Packard's Concealer Moth # 0912 (Semioscopis packardella) 2. unnamed concealer moth #0913 (Semioscopis merriccella) 3. no common name #3257 (Pseudexentera costomaculana) 4. unknown plume moth (Family Pterophoridae) 5. The Small Engrailed #6597 (Ectropis crepuscularia) 6. Epimecis hortaria #6599 (Tuliptree Beauty) 7. Melanolophia canadaria #6620 (Canadian Melanolophia) 8. Phigalea titea #6658 (The Half-wing) 9. Phigalea denticulata #6659 (Toothed Phigalea) 10. Phigalea strigataria #6660 (Small Phigalea) 11. Lomographa glomeraria #6668 (Gray Spring Moth) 12. Anticlea vasiliata #7329 (Variable Carpet) 13. Xanthorhoe lacustrata #7390 (Toothed Brown Carpet); very common day-flier that also comes to lights 14. Venusia comptaria #7428 (Brown-shaded Carpet) 15. Eupithecia sp. 1 (Eupithecia species unknown) 16. Eupithecia sp. 2 (Eupithecia species unknown) 17. Cladara atroliturata #7639 (The Scribbler); my favorite--a beautiful mint green with black-and-white markings on wings 18. Ellida caniplaga #7930 (Linden Prominent); caterpillar feeds on basswood hence the common name 19. Megalographa biloba #8907 (Bilobed Looper); another favorite 20. Galgula partita #9688 (The Wedgeling); according to Bugguide, caterpillars feed on wood sorrel (Oxalis) 21. Lithophane petulca #9889 (Wanton Pinion) 22. Lithophane oriunda #9894 (Immigrant Pinion) 23. Lithophane grotei #9915 (Grote's Pinion) 24. Pyreferra hesperidago #9929 (Mustard Sallow) 25. Eupsilia vinulenta #9933 (Straight-toothed Sallow) 26. Eupsilia morrisoni #9936 (Morrison's Sallow) 27. Psaphida electilis #10012 (Chosen Sallow); appears to be typical northern form, not intermediate form as described by Dean Edwards from Knoxville, TN area 28. Copivaleria grotei #10021 (Grote's Sallow) 29. Crocigrapha normani #10501 (Norman's Quaker) 30. Protorthodes oviduca #10563 (Ruddy Quaker)?; not sure about this one's i.d. 31. Cerastis tenebrifera 10994 (Reddish Speckled Dart) I've attached an image of The Scribbler which has to be my favorite moth of the season so far. -- J. Merrill Lynch Echo Valley Farm Watauga County, NC Elevation: 3,400 feet
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