All good things come to an end......

 ....at least for now. Yes, the night-time creatures are becoming harder and harder to find. Once the temperature gets down to about 10C, very few are attracted to the black light. There are still a few around, but they will be preparing to overwinter under some bark, or in a pile of leaves. Many adults will just die, with those in the larvae or pupa stage overwintering.

I expect there will be the occasional decent night yet to come along. One year I was still having some success in early November, although with the lake effect keeping temperatures from sliding too low, Rondeau will have some later opportunities than places inland.

With that, I will now feature a few of the more colourful or interestingly patterned ones I got at Rondeau this year. Currently the park's list is a bit over 650 species, which seems like a lot, and it is, but a far cry from what is likely there. There are over 3300 species known from Ontario, and if the diversity of habitats of Rondeau were thoroughly surveyed, would probably have at least 1200 species. So we have our work cut out for us. Some plans are in the works on how to obtain a significant increase next year!

Here are a few. One or more may have been shown in previous year's blogs, but these are all from the 2022 season. Some are quite aptly named, others are not. In fact some don't even have a common name, just a scientific one.

Arched Hooktip

This next one is a new species for Chatham-Kent. It is not very common anywhere in southwestern Ontario, where the only records are. It is Atascosa glareosella.

Basswood Leafroller

Black-bordered Lemon

Bog Lygropia

Chestnut-marked Pondweed Moth

Delicate Cycnia

 I always am on the lookout for members of the Caloptilia group, as they are tiny, have interesting patterns, and are propped up due to their quite long front legs. This first one is a Dogwood Caloptilia, only about 7mm long.

Sphinx moths are fairly numerous, but don't often come to lights. This one is on the ground immediately below the lit sheet. It is an Elm Sphinx, the only one I photographed this year.

When one is walking through grasses, there often are little moths that pop out, but then almost immediately go into hiding under a blade of grass. They are tiny and mostly linear. This one is one of the smaller members of the grass-veneer group, called the Gold-striped Grass-veneer.

I come across two or three of this next species each year. It is considered uncommon, and is known as the Harris' Three-spot.

A fairly large and quite distinctive moth that shows up later in the season is this Large Tolype. I have had as many as 8 on the sheet at the same time.

Little White Lichen Moth

Lost Owlet

This next one is also a first for Chatham-Kent. It is a Mayapple Borer Moth, and although it has not been found very often across southern Ontario, it is a bit surprising since there is a lot of Mayapple in various woodlands across the southwest.

One that is officially rare, and is also quite intricately patterned, is Moonseed Moth, named due to its affiliation with an uncommon plant called Moonseed.

This next one is the Pickeralweed Borer, also uncommon.

Not uncommon, but certainly distinctively patterned, is this Pink-shaded Fern Moth, which I come across a few times each year.

 Members of the Silk Moth group are always a highlight to have come to the light. They are some of the largest and most colourful of all of our moths. This first one is a Promethea Moth, which is very closely patterned to a Tuliptree Silkmoth. At first I was thinking and hoping it would be the latter species since I have never photographed one. However the moth experts I consulted agreed it was a Promethea, although some were not 100% certain. Nevertheless, it will be documented as a Promethea.

 

 

Another colourful, but slightly smaller, silkmoth is this Rosy Maple Moth. One can usually have a small number come to the lights, but just for a short period. Late June and early July is prime time for this beauty.

Rusty Virbia

Sensitive Fern Borer Moth

The Beggar

This next one is known as a Variable Narrow-wing. It is a migrant that may show up in late summer/early autumn, and comes from Central America! The late season southwesterly winds bring it northwards, but the ones I have photographed are in surprisingly good condition, such as the one below. I have photographed it a couple of times in the past, but always in September or early October.

And last but not least is this White-headed Prominent, a fairly regular but not common species.

Of course I have photographed hundreds of others over the season, but most are less impressive from a colour and pattern perspective, and some are quite worn having lost many of the scales that give them their diagnostic pattern. 

I am already hoping for great things next year!

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Blacklighting and more at Sydenham River Nature Reserve

 Sydenham River Nature Reserve (SRNR) is a fascinating natural area overlapping the border of Lambton and Middlesex counties. The Sydenham River is of high quality and, naturally, meanders through this woodland and floodplain. The SRNR is owned by Ontario Nature, and is adjacent to the wooded McAlpine Tract, owned by the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority. Altogether, this mosaic of extensive woodland upstream and downstream makes for an impressive natural area.

One of the things that, in my opinion, makes the SRNR stand out is its impressive array of an uncommon spring wildflower, Virginia Bluebells. There are hectares and hectares of it, and it is truly a highlight of spring.

One of the most impressive views is along the river itself.

The woodland is inviting during the freshness of springtime, where the water flows quickly and quietly. This quite large Sycamore tree is a landmark of sorts....

...but even in the quiet of autumn, where smaller watercourses meander before entering the Sydenham, the atmosphere can be refreshing and inspiring.

I don't get to the SRNR frequently, but mainly for specific purposes, such as to view and photograph the bluebells. But it is also a very worthwhile location to set up my black lights, to see what I can attract to my illuminated sheets. Surely such a high quality natural area might have a good diversity of species, right? At least that is the hope, and although I have only had the lights on at SRNR on three occasions over the last couple of years (so far) it has always been worthwhile.

It isn't easy to get to many parts of the reserve for black lighting. So far I have only set up at one location, and that is at the end of a dead end road at the bottom of a hill, where I am surrounded by wooded portion of the nature reserve, as well as the McAlpine Tract and an open area recently planted into prairie vegetation. It is quiet, sheltered from the wind, with only occasional sounds of traffic from the paved road more than a kilometre away. One can really enjoy the remoteness of this spot.

I set up one of my lights on a sheet covering part of my vehicle, at the end of the road. The other sheet is over a rope tied between two trees down a woodland trail, about 100 metres or so away. The sky darkens, the wind calms down, the temperature and humidity are promising for lots of insect action, and so I turn on the lights. And wait.

The first few insects to arrive are caddisflies, tiny beetles and always at least a few mosquitoes. Fortunately the mosquitoes have never been a huge problem. It is usually a few minutes before the first moths arrive. 

Caddisflies are not easy to identify. iNaturalist is helpful, and this one turns out to be of the genus Pycnopsyche.

In about 3 hours of black lighting on each of three occasions, I've photographed well over 100 species of moths, and a few dozen non-moth critters. Some are quite colourful and nicely patterned, while others are much more drab to the human eye, or so worn that they are almost impossible to identify. Here are some of the more distinctly patterned ones, partly due to their freshness.

Banded Tussock Moth

Beautiful Wood Nymph

Black-banded Brocade

Blackberry Looper

Chickweed Geometer

Dark Olethreutes

This next one is quite uncommon in Ontario. It is related to the Grass-veneers, and is called a Delightful Donacaula.

A small, but fairly common Grass-veneer is this Elegant Grass-veneer.

Friendly Probole

Some have odd, to us, stances, such as this Grapevine Looper.

Green Leuconycta

Hairnet Acleris

Some aren't so vividly marked, but have well-defined patterns, such as this Interrupted Dagger.

Those Wooly Bear Caterpillars you see roaming about in the fall, early spring or even on warmish days in winter, will develop into this next one, the Isabella Tiger Moth.

A very distinctly patterned moth, as well as being colourful is this next one. It is known as Moonseed Moth, not at all common in Ontario, but widely scattered.

Painted Lichen Moth

Showy Emerald

Soft-lined Wave

Striped Oak Webworm

The Badwing

Thin-winged Owlet

Three-spotted Filip

Two-banded Petrophila

White-spotted Hedya

American Idia

Arcigera Flower Moth

One thing that moth-ers are always on the lookout for are members of the silk moth family, such as Cecropia or Luna moths, or members of the underwing group, noted for their flashy underwings. Most of the silkworm moths would have been present a bit earlier than my visits, so maybe next year. This next one is a member of the underwing group called The Bride, which has a hindwing of golden and black bands, when it is visible.

Clover Hayworm

Cross-lined Wave

Indigo Stem Borer Moth

Large Tolype

White-lined Snout

Of course along with the brightly and/or distinctly patterned moths, there are always too many less distinctly marked ones, due to their specific species, or just because they have been damaged or have had to many of the colourful scales worn off. And some are very small and harder to distinguish. This Black Duckweed Moth, shown next, is very small, with a body length of only about 6-7 mm.

The Canadian Melanophila, is often less distinctly patterned, especially when worn.

Some species even when fresh are a bit challenging, This next one is quite worn as well, but is likely a member of the Leucania genus.

Some worn and damaged ones are likely to show up on the sheet, such as this next one which is not confirmed, but is probably a Wavy-lined Fanfoot.

As mentioned there are always a few non-moths creatures attracted to the light, and they can be fun to add to the photographic collection. Here are a few examples.

Green Stinkbug

This next one doesn't have a common name, but is a type of Weevils

Conotrachelus elegans

Northern Flatid Planthopper

Next is a Treehopper, probably of the Telamona genus.

Leafhoppers are often present and both fun and challenging to photograph. Some are only 3-4 mm long, while the largest ones may be 5-6 mm long. Some are quite distinctly, even wildly, coloured.

Saddleback Leafhopper

I'm not sure of a common name for this next one, but it is Tylozygus bifidus.

One of my all-time favourite leafhopper species to find and photograph is this appropriately named Red-banded Leafhopper.

Each visit results in finding some fascinating elements of nature. It is a bonus to get some decent photos of them. And even in between photographing the visitors to the illuminated sheet, there are other satisfying aspects of a night-time outing to a natural area such as the SRNR. It may be listening to coyotes howling back and forth to each other off in the distance, or giving a whistle-trill of an Eastern Screech Owl and have them respond close by. Or watching a 3/4 moon arise through the trees before illuminating the grassy meadow nearby while a deer forages along the edges. The joy of such an outing is so rewarding amidst all of the daily hustle and bustle that we are normally subject to. I hope to get to the SRNR again before the season is over.

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