Moths....in winter!

 Okay maybe that title is a bit misleading as adult moths are not likely to be found in southern Ontario at this time of year, especially under the conditions that most of the winter has been. However I had planned on doing a brief post late last winter to feature late season adult moths that I had photographed in recent years, but the topic was just on the back burner for too long. 

However, in a brief period recently where the daytime temperature reached +1C, as I was hiking along the west South Point Trail at Rondeau, in between some patches of snow I came across a caterpillar along the trail. One can sometimes expect a Wooly Bear Caterpillar so show up during such times, but it was clear this was not one of them. The bristles are too long and spiky. In addition, a close-up of the area between some of the bristles show some orange. It is the caterpillar of the Giant Leopard Moth, officially a vulnerable species of moth in Ontario, making it even more unlikely to find wandering about in February!

This is what an adult Giant Leopard Moth looks like, next. I have photographed an adult coming to one of my black lights on several occasions, but only at Rondeau and Clear Creek Forest Provincial Parks. They definitely stand out!

There are a few moths that will come to a black light relatively late in the season, but ideally when the temperature remains above 10C. Sometimes they may even be seen flitting about in daylight. Here are a few examples of ones I have photographed even as late as late November, either at Rondeau or in my back yard. The advantage of Rondeau is that later in the season, with the effect of the warmer lake, it may stay above 10C a little longer.

Autumnal Moth

Bicolored Sallow

Bilobed Looper Moth

Box Tree Moth

These next two are the Bruce Spanworm Moth, showing a variable pattern and colour.

Common Tan Wave

The next two are the Corn Earworm Moth, showing different perspectives.

Green Cloverworm

Next is not a moth, but a regular but very small, visitor to black lights known as a Brown Lacewing.

Soybean Looper Moth

Tomato Looper Moth

 That's it, at least for now. With spring not far off, and as temperatures rise, I hope to get out to various places and add some new species to the list of ~750 species I have already photographed!

My next post will likely focus on late season birding highlights, unless something more interesting comes along. I do have a future post planned about the saga of the endangered Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus at Rondeau in the plans, so stay tuned.

 

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National Moth Week just around the corner

July 22 begins National Moth Week for 2023. I haven't been giving moths their due so far this year, but it is time! I have been out on occasion, but not as often as in the past few years. A couple of recent black lighting visits to Rondeau have been quite productive. Some of the highlights, and more colourful individuals of the approximate 100 species from those visits, are shown here.

American Idia, shown first, is pretty regular, but not always in as good a shape as this one.

Arched Hooktip

Next, slightly worse for wear but still in pretty good shape is the Beautiful Wood-nymph.

Here is one I have rarely seen, let along photographed. It is the Black Bit Moth, and fairly large as most moths go.

I'm not entirely sure about this next one. It might be a Fragile White Carpet.

Delightful Donacula

Early Button Slug Moth

For moth-ers, having Sphinx moths come to the light is always a highlight. This next one is a large Sphinx moth known as an Elm Sphinx.

Next is one with rather limited Ontario distribution, and is on the list of rare species of Ontario. It is a Faint-spotted Palthis.

Fall Webworm

Frosted Tan Wave

Another highlight is this large moth, which I have only photographed a couple of times. It is a Giant Leopard Moth.

Another rare species in Ontario is this Gold-lined Melanomma.

Quite a common species, but rarely have I seen it looking so greenish, is this Green Pug.

Guenee's Pearl

These next two are fairly regular, and quite interestingly patterned.

Hickory Tussock Moth

Jewel-tailed Slug Moth

This next one is extremely small, only about 5 mm long, and rarely photographed in Ontario. It is the Linden Bark Borer and is not native.

There are several Callus Borers, but only this Maple Callus Borer comes to a light. Of the Callus Borer group, it is easily told by the reddish/orange tip of its abdomen.

Pale-winged Crocidophora

A quite colourful and vividly patterned moth is this Pink-shaded Fern Moth, shown next. I had 8" x 12" canvas prints made of these next two due to their impressive colours and patterns.

One of my all-time favourites, seen primarily in mid to late June and sometimes early July is this Rosy Maple Moth.

Showy Emerald

This next one is new for the Rondeau checklist, and in Ontario, is only found widely scattered across the southern part of the province.

Sooty-winged Chalcoela

Another one in the slug moth group is this Spiny Oak-slug Moth.

A larger moth looking somewhat like the sphinx moths is this Spotted Apatelodes.

The Bad-wing

Beggar Moth

This next one is rather worn and torn, but it is a rare species in Ontario. Not surprisingly it is fairly regular at Rondeau as it is a Tulip-tree Beauty, where Tulip-trees are rather common.

There are several similar looking moths, but I am fairly certain this is a Virginian Tiger Moth.

Another large Sphinx moth is this next one, the Walnut Sphinx.

At the other end of the size spectrum is another slug moth, the Yellow-collared Slug Moth.

Depending on the weather and my energy levels, I expect to be out with the black lights again on several occasions over the next few nights during National Moth Week. It is about the peak time for moths, although there will be lots more to photograph and document until October!

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Night-time Creatures are back!

The title of this post may lead one to think about Common Nighthawk, Eastern Whip-poor-will, Chimney Swift, Eastern Screech Owl, Virginia Opossums and such. I do not have much of a photo stock of such creatures for the most part, but there are night-time creatures that I have lots of photos of.

So I'm taking a break in my blog posts, from the usual birds and plants theme. With the periodic and  sporadic unseasonable warmth over the last couple of months, I decided to put up the black light in the yard to see what creatures might be lured in. While it has been tempting to set up at Rondeau, being a sandspit surrounded by the cooler waters of Lake Erie in spring time results in the overall, and especially the night-time, temperatures to be less than ideal, especially if the all too often east to north-east winds are present. Hopefully in the next week or so, I will resume black lighting at Rondeau. In the meantime, I will feature a few of the more interesting ones that have shown up in my yard.

One of the more colourful ones that shows up in a variety of settings is this first one, the Ailanthus Webworm Moth.

This one came to the light, but spent most of the time on the ground. It is a Bee Moth, somewhat regular, but not common.

Belted Leafroller, next, has some look-alike relatives, and one has to carefully examine the pattern to be sure.....

.....and the grass-veneer group also has subtle differences amongst the species. I am fairly certain that this next one is a Bluegrass Grass-veneer.

A quite regular visitor to black lights is this next one, the Bristly Cutworm.

I have photographed this next species, the Broken-banded Leafroller, on several occasions in the past, but never in my yard.

The Codling Moth, next, can be a problem for some fruit crops.

Common Idia moths, are actually fairly common throughout the season.....

...as is the Faint-spotted Palthis, quite distinguishable by its shape, although it has a close relative with a slightly different pattern.

Looper moths, such as this Forage Looper, are common in garden and yard settings. It is a little worn.

This next one is a new one for me. It is a Juniper Seed Moth, quite small and fortunately is nicely patterned for identification purposes.

Since locust trees, and especially the non-native Black Locust, is widespread and even common, it is not surprising that the Locust Twig Borer is also widespread, although it is the first time I have photographed it in my yard.

This next one is the Miranda Moth, a totally new one in spite of my frequent black-lighting ventures in numerous places in southwestern Ontario.

The Palmerworm Moth, next, is not all that widespread, although I seem to get them fairly regularly at my place.

Pine Tube Moths are, or at least, were, quite abundant in my early efforts this year. It was always the most abundant, with sometimes more than a dozen individuals showing up. Of course with the black light set up under a large White Pine tree, it really isn't surprising. The pattern can vary slightly, especially in intensity.

This Pink-barred Pseudeustrotia, next, is one I don't often see this early in the season, but there it was.

Speckled Green Fruitworm moth is not all that often seen.

This next one is The Wedgling Moth, a quite regular visitor wherever I set up......

...as is The White-speck.

There are several members of the Emerald group, such as this Wavy-lined Emerald.

And finally, is the White Pine Coneborer moth, a species I see regularly but infrequently even though there are White Pines usually in the vicinity of my black-light set up.

There are always a few non-moth creatures that show up at the lights, so maybe a future post will be devoted to them.

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