National Moth Week 2015

Today is the start of National Moth Week, which runs through next Sunday, July 26. You can participate by doing some mothing yourself or attending one of the many events around the world.

Mothing is fun and easy. I use a CFL black light projected onto a white sheet, but any outdoor light will attract moths if it is left on at night. Some serious moth enthusiasts build traps or put out sugary bait, but mothing need not get that complicated.

Identifying moths is a bit harder than attracting them. There are tens of thousands of species of moths, and while many are distinctive, many others are nearly impossible to identify by sight. In my experience most macromoths can be identified with some effort. One good online resource that I use is the Moth Photographers Group. Another good resource (for people on the west coast) is Pacific Northwest Moths. And of course, BugGuide is also helpful. There are some good print field guides, including the Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America (which I reviewed here) and other regional guides.

Data can be submitted to one of the websites listed here. Some websites like BugGuide and Project Noah will accept unidentified photographs, and volunteer reviewers will try to identify them.

Books and Web Resources on Moths

This week is National Moth Week. Why moths? Moths are extremely diverse, with about 160,000 species worldwide, and appear in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. Despite this incredible diversity, many moths are not well studied or are underappreciated; sometimes they are even feared. National Moth Week aims to give more attention to these creatures of the night and to encourage citizen scientists to study and document them.

One obstacle to starting out studying moths as an amateur is that they are not as well covered as birds or even butterflies when it comes to field guides and other references for a popular audience. Moths' diversity makes it difficult for any guide to include all of the possible species, even within a limited area like northeastern North America. Here are some useful books on moths in North America.

The Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America by David Beadle and Seabrooke Leckie is currently the best field guide for moths in its area. It covers macromoths pretty thoroughly and includes many of the more common micromoths. The photos are of living specimens. I reviewed this book here.

Charles Covell's Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America has effectively been replaced by the previous guide though it covers a larger area. It uses spread-winged specimens, and some printings have black and white illustrations. The guide has been out of print for a long time, but a reprint is available from the Virginia Museum of Natural History.

Caterpillars of Eastern North America by David Wagner covers common caterpillars of both moths and butterflies. This is a useful starting point for learning about caterpillars.

Owlet Caterpillars of Eastern North America by David Wagner, Dale Schweitzer, J. Bolling Sullivan, Richard Reardon provides thorough coverage of caterpillars from the superfamily Noctuoidea. This is primarily for people who already have a pretty deep interest in moths. I reviewed it here.

Moths & Caterpillars of the North Woods by Jim Sogaard has limited coverage, but I found it useful when I was first learning moths.

Le guide des papillons du Québec – Version scientifique by Louis Handfield is a two-volume French language guide for northeastern North America.

Moths of Western North America by Jerry Powell and Paul Opler covers the western region.

Discovering Moths: Nighttime Jewels in Your Own Backyard by John Himmelman is not a field guide but a popular introduction to moths. It covers how to find and study moths, some aspects of moth biology, interesting lepidopterists, and moths in mythology and popular culture.

Tiger Moths and Woolly Bears: Behavior, Ecology, and Evolution of the Arctiidae, edited by William Conner, is a collection of articles on tiger moth biology.

The Moth Book: A Popular Guide to a Knowledge of the Moths of North America by W.J. Holland is available as a free download from the Biodiversity Heritage Library, which hosts a number of older books on Lepidoptera. It is also available from Google Books. The taxonomy is out of date, but it still may be a useful resource.

Because the books available can only cover so much, web resources are essential for confirming identifications and learning more about moths. Here are a few useful ones.

The Moth Photographers Group is probably the single most useful website for studying North American moths. Its plate series has thousands of high quality images, with multiple images for each species, including micromoths. It also provides links to much more information. Before the publication of Beadle and Leckie's guide, this was my main resource for identifying moths, and even now I still use it regularly.

BugGuide maintains guide pages for insects with reference images and text; users may submit photos for identification. The coverage is more uneven than at the Moth Photographers Group.

Pacific Northwest Moths covers 1,200 species of moths with species accounts and an interactive key for identification.

Butterflies and Moths of North America has species profiles and checklists.

Lepidoptera Barcode of Life is building a DNA barcode library of positively identified moth specimens. Images of moths in their database can be viewed on their website. Mark Dreiling is a major contributor of specimens.

National Moth Week has instructions for finding moths and links to many other resources, including where to submit data for moth observations.

Discover Life has a simple moth protocol for obtaining more useful data.

Finally, for those in my home county, Todd Dreyer has created a collection of beautiful photographs of moths in Middlesex County, New Jersey.

Photo of the Week

This week is National Moth Week. The vast majority of moths fly at night and have special adaptations for a nocturnal lifestyle. They navigate using the stars and moon, find each other with pheromones rather than visual displays, have cryptic patterns for hiding during the day, and can shiver to warm themselves on cooler nights. Some moths even have the ability to hear and jam bat sonar.

However, a select few moths fly during daylight hours. Such moths are often brightly colored and might be mistaken for butterflies, bees, or other insects that we are used to seeing during the day. Among these diurnal moths are the hummingbird sphinx moths in genus Hemaris, family Sphingidae, such as the Snowberry Clearwing pictured above. Like the Hummingbird Clearwing, also in genus Hemaris, its flight is reminiscent of a hummingbird's. Aided by its long proboscis, it feeds on deeply tubular flowers such as the wild bergamot in the photo above. The strongly contrasting yellow and black markings visually suggest those of a bumblebee. When I was photographing this Snowberry Clearwing, I had some trouble keeping track of which yellow-and-black insects were clearwings and which were bumblebees. Snowberry Clearwing moths use snowberry, honeysuckle, and dogbane as larval hosts.

I photographed this Snowberry Clearwing yesterday at Negri-Nepote Grassland Preserve during a Birds and Butterflies walk led by Chris and Paula Williams of NJ Audubon. As of my writing this, thunderstorms are predicted for every night this week, so I am not sure whether I will be able to put out my blacklight.

Photos of the Week

This weekend I participated in the Union County BioBlitz, which covered a cluster of three small suburban parks: Nomahegan, Lenape and Echo Lake Parks. The parks follow the course of the Rahway River and one of its tributaries. The habitats are mostly riparian woodland, with some open fields (both mown and unmown) and freshwater ponds. Saturday was my first time attending this event, but it has been held every year since 2005 and rotates among parks in Union County. A bioblitz is similar to a big day in its duration, but all taxa are eligible and the idea is to make as complete a census as possible of the living things at a particular site. Teams cooperate and share information, and there is usually an educational component.

The bird team came up with 70 species, which is very good for Central Jersey in June. Their sightings included a lingering Magnolia Warbler (which I missed). I came up with a little more than half that, but I was primarily working on insects. I am still sorting through my insect photos to identify and post them. So far I have 27 insect species on my list, with a lot more to identify. I know the total insect list from bioblitz will run into the hundreds.

My weekend included two lepidopteran lifers. One is the Banded Hairstreak shown above; the other is the Eight-spotted Forester shown below. Banded Hairstreak uses oaks, walnuts, and hickories as larval hosts and flies in late spring and summer. Eight-spotted Forester is hosted on vines, particularly grapes and Virginia creeper. While butterflies and moths feed on plants during their larval stages, as adults they drink nectar from flowers, and in the process pollinate many plants, which is necessary for the plants to reproduce. Both of these are fairly common species, so the fact that I had not seen either yet might seem surprising. However, insect lives are very short, and few of them migrate. Many butterflies and moths only fly for a few weeks, so if you are not in the right habitat at the right time, you will probably not see them.

If you would like to learn more about the moth diversity in your area, consider participating in National Moth Week, which is coming up very soon. This year the event runs from July 20-28.  Visit the link to learn more about how to participate.

Spiders Celebrate National Moth Week

While I was conducting my mothing session for National Moth Week, some spiders decided to observe the week in their own idiom. When I put the black light out, I spend most of my time watching and photographing moths on the white sheet I hang next to the light. However, I also check potential moth perches away from the sheet — hosta leaves in the garden next to the sheet, the lattice fencing I hang the sheet from, the back wall of the house, and nearby trees. Two spiders had spun webs against the back of the house. When I first noticed them, they were simply lying in wait, but they soon moved to action.

The larger one, identified on BugGuide as Neoscona crucifera (a type of orbweaver), caught a moth larger than itself. The moth appears to be a noctuoid of some sort, but I would not be able to identify it to species without unwrapping it and depriving the spider of its meal.

The second spider is most likely a House Spider (Parasteatoda tepidariorum) or a closely-related species. It caught a small moth, probably a micromoth. This moth is so well wrapped that I am not even sure what superfamily it belongs in. Seeing these two acts of predation make me wonder how much my black light influenced the spiders' success. Were these moths blundering around the back of the house because their direction-finding capabilities were addled by the ultraviolet light? Or would these moths have been caught anyway?

National Moth Week Summary

I did one mothing session in my backyard during National Moth Week. I had hoped to do more, but it did not work out due to rain on many nights and other evening activities on a few nights. I already posted some highlights, but here is a full list of the species I recorded, ordered by Hodges number. (Hodges numbers are named for Ronald Hodges, who compiled a numbered checklist of all known moth species that occur in North America north of Mexico in 1983.)

Acorn Moth	Blastobasis glandulella	1162
Beautiful Cosmopterix Moth	Cosmopterix pulchrimella	1472
Sweetclover Root Borer Moth	Walshia miscecolorella	1615
Spotted Dichomeris	Dichomeris punctidiscella	2283
Ailanthus Webworm Moth	Atteva aurea	2401
Tufted Apple Budmoth	Platynota idaeusalis	3740
Sooty-winged Chalcoela	Chalcoela iphitalis	4895
Celery Leaftier	Udea rubigalis	5079
Lucerne Moth	Nomophila nearctica	5156
Double-banded Grass-veneer	Crambus agitatellus	5362
Sod Webworm	Pediasia trisecta	5413
Bluegrass Webworm	Parapediasia teterrella	5451
Common Tan Wave	Pleuroprucha insulsaria	7132
Bent-line Carpet	Costaconvexa centrostrigaria	7416
Common Eupithecia	Eupithecia miserulata	7474
American Idia	Idia americalis	8322
Early Zanclognatha	Zanclognatha cruralis	8351
Green Cloverworm	Hypena scabra	8465
Black Fungus Moth	Metalectra tantillus	8502
Celery Looper	Anagrapha falcifera	8924
Large Wainscot	Rhizedra lutosa	9447.2
Variable Narrow-wing Moth	Magusa divaricata	9637.1
Yellow-striped Armyworm Moth	Spodoptera ornithogalli	9669
The Wedgling	Galgula partita	9688
The White-Speck / Armyworm	Mythimna unipuncta	10438
Linda Wainscot	Leucania linda	10445
Pearly Underwing	Peridroma saucia	10915

That makes 27 species, plus two unidentified moths (one very worn noctuid and one probable gelechiid). Several species Several moths were new to either my life list or my yard list, like the Sooty-winged Chalcoela. That makes it a fairly typical summer mothing session for the location.

Mothing for National Moth Week

On Wednesday I put out my black light in the backyard for a few hours to attract moths for National Moth Week. I am still in the process of identifying them, which is still a slow process even with the new Peterson guide. In the meantime, here are a few of the macromoths. The one above is one of two Yellow-striped Armyworms (Spodoptera ornithogalli) that came to the light. Instead of landing on the sheet, this one perched on a lattice fence nearby.

This is a Large Wainscot (Rhizedra lutosa), a member of the family Noctuidae. Large Wainscots were introduced to North America (first recorded in 1988) and feed on Phragmites australis.

This is another noctuid called The White-Speck or Armyworm (Mythimna unipuncta).

I believe this is a Linda Wainscot (Leucania linda), which is closely related to the previous species.

This is a Green Cloverworm Moth (Hypena scabra), an extremely common moth here.

This is a Black Fungus Moth (Metalectra tantillus).

This Celery Looper (Anagrapha falcifera) was reluctant to settle down on the sheet and kept fluttering and disturbing the other moths.

Finally, here is a Common Pug (Eupithecia miserulata). The Eupithecia moths all look very similar so that it can be hard to tell one from another, but the genus's shape is very distinctive.

National Moth Week Starting Today

This week, July 23-29, is the first ever National Moth Week in North America. Moths are widespread and diverse insects, capable of adapting to many niches and with significant ecological and economic effects. They range in size from micromoths barely bigger than a pin head to giant silkworm moths whose wingspans may measure several inches across. Most are patterned with shades of brown and gray, but some are brightly colored, and even moths with camouflaged forewings may conceal dazzling hindwings underneath. Since moths can be found anywhere and studied without a lot of special equipment, it makes them a natural subject for a citizen science project. Indeed, a National Moth Night has taken place in the United Kingdom for several years.

Anyone can participate in National Moth Week by attending a scheduled public event or by looking for moths themselves. There are currently events scheduled in 20 countries and 49 U.S. states; check the map at the link to find events near you. To study moths on your own, register your location and then leave a light on outdoors at night. Ideally, this would be a bulb that shines into the UV spectrum, like a mercury vapor lamp or blacklight, but even regular bulbs will attract some moths. The light should be near a landing zone, like a wall or a light-colored sheet. Check periodically to record what moths have come to the light and photograph any interesting ones for identification. Here are some suggestions for submitting data. Three websites have set up data collection projects for National Moth Week.

Some Crambid Moths

Since I started mothing, I have developed an odd affection for a group of micromoths that are generally called grass-veneers. Why this is I am not sure. The fact that they are relatively easy to identify (for micromoths, anyway) probably has something to do with it. Here are a few that showed up at my UV black light last week.

The Double-banded Grass-veneer is one of the more colorful species in this group. Its larvae feed on grasses, and you will generally find the adults on or near the ground. Grass-veneers are some of the moths you might disturb while walking on a grassy path.

This Changeable Grass-veneer is doing a headstand. Like the previous moth, its larvae feed on grasses, and the adults are likely to be found near the ground.

The last one is a Vagabond Crambus. This species tends not to be distinctively marked, but that plainness can itself be helpful for identification since so many other crambids do have distinctive markings. Like the others, its larvae feed on grasses, as well as wheat and rye.

Backyard Moths

On Wednesday night, I ran my UV black light in the backyard for a few hours. Insect activity at the sheet was fairly subdued. I got a lot of the expected midges and may beetles, but not a lot of moths. Here are a few that did show up. Above is a Common Idia, appropriate enough one of the most common moths in my backyard.

This is a Florida Tetanolita, another common moth that I have seen repeatedly in the backyard.

This may be my first record of Faint-spotted Palthis in the backyard. I am not entirely sure of that, though, since I still have a lot of unidentified moths from last summer. These three are all owlet moths, in family Erebidae, subfamily Herminiinae. This subfamily contains numerous moth species that feed on leaf litter in their larval stages. As adults, they spend a lot of time on the ground, so you might flush them as you walk through grass or dead leaves.

This green and brown moth is a Bee Moth, a pyralid.

Finally, this Suzuki's Promolactis Moth is very tiny but very colorful under magnification.

Review: Owlet Caterpillars of Eastern North America

The Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America is not the only identification guide for eastern moths to be published recently. At the end of last year, Princeton University Press issued a mammoth volume on eastern owlet moth caterpillars. Readers may be familiar with the excellent Caterpillars of Eastern North America by David L. Wagner, which includes caterpillars of common moth and butterfly species. The same author has teamed with David F. Schweitzer, J. Bolling Sullivan, and Richard C. Reardon to produce Owlet Caterpillars of Eastern North America.

This book treats 815 moth species from the superfamily Noctuoidea. This is one of the most diverse insect superfamilies, with over 75,000 species recorded worldwide (and probably many more not yet discovered). Of the species treated in the book, 726 species are illustrated while 89 are only described; of the illustrated species, 372 receive full accounts while 354 are given brief treatment that includes their host plants and how to identify them. Many of the full accounts are reproduced Caterpillars of Eastern North America, with updates or corrections where necessary.

Full accounts include photos of pinned and living adult moths in addition to the caterpillar. They may include multiple caterpillar images for species with a high degree of variation. The photographs are superb and reproduced at a high resolution suitable for illustrating significant markings and body structures. Since this volume was originally intended to appear in the Forest Service's FHTET publication series, the accounts include information on the economic significance of each species. The accounts are based on years of research by the four authors and include previously unpublished data about host plants and life cycles. An introduction covers the basics of moth taxonomy and life cycles and includes notes on collecting and rearing caterpillars.

Those with a serious interest in moths, whether on an amateur or professional basis will want a copy of
Owlet Caterpillars of Eastern North America. Gardeners and land managers may likewise find the book useful for identifying potential pest species. Readers with a more general interest will probably be satisfied with the coverage in Caterpillars of Eastern North America but may be interested in the additional coverage and photographs.

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This review was based on a review copy provided by the publisher.

Review: Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America

A long-awaited update to Charles Covell's Moths of Eastern North America is finally in print this spring. Moths are among the most diverse insect groups – over 11,000 species have been catalogued in North America alone. They also play an important role in ecosystems, as pollinators for many plants and as food for birds, bats, and other animals. Yet their nocturnal habits and poor reputation as pests keeps them from being better appreciated. In fact, very little is known about many moth species – in some cases even basic information like their range or larval hosts. Among more popular groups like birds and butterflies, this sort of information is often collected by amateur observers, who supplement the work of scientists. David Beadle and Seabrooke Leckie hope to encourage a new generation of moth observers with their new guide, the Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America.

The new guide covers nearly 1,500 moths found in the northeast, roughly from Minnesota and Missouri east to Virginia and the maritime provinces. Of these, about two-thirds to three-quarters are macromoths, and the rest are micromoths. These 1,500 moths are the ones most likely to be encountered, especially at a light trap or sugar bait. The increased coverage of micromoths compared to existing guides is especially welcome. At my UV light, I see far more micromoths than macromoths, and it usually takes me a long time to identify them. One moth I was surprised to see omitted is the Indian-meal Moth – the moth most likely to infest a pantry – which has a very distinctive adult form.

The new guide uses the format familiar from other recent Peterson guides: plates on the right page and descriptive text on the facing page. The text includes the Hodges number (and MPG number for noctuoids), size, a succinct description, host plants (if known), and range. The species accounts include a range map for most macromoths but not for micromoths, which I believe is a first among moth guides. Unfortunately sufficient data does not exist to produce a range map for many species. The accounts also include a tricolored bar to indicate approximate flight periods. When I first flipped through the guide, the bar's meaning was not obvious to me, but it is explained in the introduction. The guide is illustrated with photographs that have been digitally edited to remove the moths from their backgrounds. Many of the photos are by the authors, but they also drew on other photographers to supply images. The photographs are of excellent quality, and the color is true to life, as far as I can see. The plates show the moths as they appear in life rather than as mounted specimens, which is a major improvement over Covell's guide for identifying moths in the wild or at light traps.

I sense some possible influence from Kenn Kaufman's excellent series of field guides here, and not only in the use of digitally-edited photographs. One feature of Kaufman's butterfly and insect guides that I really like is the inclusion of a silhouette showing the actual size of one species on each page, with the all the species on the same page scaled relative to that species. This feature helps especially with identifying very small insects such as micromoths. It helps to have a visual sense of how small they are but also have the illustrations large enough to see the detailed markings on the wings.

The new Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America is the best English-language* resource currently in print for the region it covers. If you are interested in identifying moths in northeastern North America, this is the book to use. (Moths of Western North America is available for that region.) Since obtaining a copy, I have already used it to identify several moths. I must say that having a book in my hand makes a huge difference when I am trying to find a familiar-looking but unknown moth. It is much faster (and less strain for my laptop) than browsing through the plates at the Moth Photographers Group (though that website is excellent). It should make identifying moths at my UV light and active participation in projects like National Moth Week much easier.

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This review is based on a copy provided by the publisher. I have corresponded with one of the authors, Seabrooke Leckie, for help with moth identifications on a few occasions.

*  I have not seen a copy of Louis Handfield's French-language Guide des Papillons du Québec (published by Broquet) to do a proper comparison between the two guides.

Supporting National Moth Week

As some of you may know, this July 23-29 will be the first National Moth Week in North America. Hopefully this will become an annual event, with participation from around the continent. There are over 10,0o0 species in North America. Many are not well documented, either in their life histories or for their range, and more may remain to be discovered. Some moths are true pests, of clothing, of stored food, or of agriculture, but most are benign, or even beneficial. Moths, and particularly their caterpillars, are an important food source for birds as they migrate and raise their young. Caterpillars may keep plants from proliferating too quickly, and some species help break down leaf litter. Some adult moths, particularly sphinx moths, pollinate plants. Within those 10,000 species there is a tremendous diversity of size, shape, and pattern. Moths range in size from tiny micromoths to large silk moths that could almost fill an adult's hand. Many moths are drab shades of gray and brown, but some are quite colorful, and even the drab ones may show intricate patterns when viewed up close.

I have signed on as a supporter of National Moth Week, which means that I will posting occasional notices and reminders about upcoming events in the next few months. Plus there will be a linked logo over in the right-hand column.

On a related topic, yesterday evening I received a copy of the brand new Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America by David Beadle and Seabrooke Leckie. This is the long-awaited replacement for the venerable guide by Charles Covell, which has been out-of-print for years. I will try to post a review as soon as possible. If you are in central New Jersey, there will be an opportunity to meet one of the authors, Seabrooke Leckie, at a moth night in East Brunswick on May 10. If you live too far away for that event, you can see her other book tour stops here.

Second Moth of 2012

On Wednesday night, I ran my UV blacklight outdoors for several hours to see if any more moths had emerged. Despite the warm weather (and the lack of a full moon), very few moths came to the sheet. In fact, only one appeared, another micromoth. This one showed very subtle markings under a flashlight beam, but the camera brought out more detail. Having seen many moths like this before, I quickly recognized it as a probably tortricid in the subfamily Olethreutinae. When resting, they tend to look almost rectangular, with the wings rolled so the top and sides look perpendicular to each other.

After looking through the plates at the Moth Photographers Group (currently the best online resource for moth ID in North America), I narrowed the possibilities down to the genus Pseudexentera. The most likely candidates are P. spoliana and P. vaccinii. Both species have been found recently in the same county by fellow birder/mother Todd Dreyer.

Sometimes information about food plants can help narrow down an identification, as some plants are more common in the neighborhood than others. In this case, food plant information is less helpful. P. spoliana, the Bare-patched Oak Leafroller, is known to feed on oaks, of which there are many in my neighborhood. BugGuide does not list a host plant for P. vaccinii, but its name suggests that it uses blueberry plants (Vaccinium sp.), which are also present. (A search of the HOSTS database confirmed my guess.) Above is a Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra); below is a Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum).

First Moth of 2012

Last night I put out my moth light for the first time this year. One micromoth came to the sheet before I even turned the light on and stayed there in the same spot for the two hours I left the light on. That was the only moth I saw. The moth, shown above, appears to be Battaristis concinusella, a species of gelechiid moth. Most of the reports of that species in BugGuide's database are for later in the spring, but perhaps a few came out early thanks to the warm winter. In any case, the markings towards the apex of its forewing and along the outer costa seem pretty distinctive.

The only other insects I saw last night were some midges and this crane fly.

National Moth Week 2012

For over a decade, British moth enthusiasts have participated in National Moth Night, an annual event. In recent years, the event has become increasingly popular. Most observers record moths in their backyards, but some prominent institutions have set up moth traps as well. Next year, the United States will have a new mothing event, National Moth Week, which will be July 23-29, 2012. Here is Dave Moskowitz of the Friends of the East Brunswick Environmental Commission on the purpose of the event:

Why moths? With more than 10,000 species in North America alone, moths offer endless options for study, education, photography and fun. Moths can be found everywhere from inner cities, to suburban backyards and the most wild and remote places. The diversity of moths is simply astounding. Their colors and patterns are often dazzling or so cryptic that they define camoflauge. Shapes and sizes span the gamut with some as small as a pinhead and others as large as a hand.

Most moths are nocturnal creatures of the night, and need to be sought to see – others fly like butterflies during the day. Finding moths is easy and can be as simple as leaving a porch light on and checking it after dark. Serious moth aficionados use special lights and baits to attract them. Moths are also featured widely in literature and art providing a different angle for enjoyment and study.

Moth Nights are often held by nature groups and allow an easy opportunity for an introduction or for more serious pursuits. National Moth Week brings together everyone interested in moths to celebrate these amazing insects. It is hoped that groups and individuals from all across the country will spend some time during National Moth Week looking for moths and sharing what they’ve found.

During National Moth Week, attend a Moth Night event, start one, get some friends and neighbors together and check the porch lights from time to time, set up a light and see what is in your own backyard, read literature about moths. But no matter what, participate; the richness of moths is sure to fascinate. National Moth Week: Exploring Nighttime Nature.

I have been to several moth nights in East Brunswick where I met Dave and other local moth enthusiasts. The events are fun to attend. On a good night in favorable habitat, there are plenty of moths to look at and opportunities to talk to people with similar interests. It is easy to find moths in your own backyard by leaving a porch light on or setting up a moth trap. Organizations also run moth nights easily as long as they have a good spot to set up a sheet and a UV light. For more information on participating, see the National Moth Week website.

Large Yellow Underwing Caterpillar

The caterpillar above is the larval form of Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba). I found it as it was walking across a bicycle path in Donaldson Park yesterday morning.

The Large Yellow Underwing moth is a relatively recent addition to North American lepidoptera. The species is native to Europe and was introduced to North America via Nova Scotia in 1979. Since that time, the species has spread across the continent, and it seems to be one of the more common large moths in this area. I have seen adults frequently at UV lights at night. These moths tend to flutter around and not settle down. This would not be so bad except that it often spooks some of the other, more docile moths as I try to photo them on the sheet. Above is a photo of an adult from August 2010.

Pale Beauty at East Brunswick Moth Night

On Saturday evening I went with my friend Anita and her husband to the final session of East Brunswick Moth Night for 2011. The moth diversity was a bit lower than expected. Relatively few macromoths visited the sheet, and those that visited the moth sugar were almost all Copper Underwings. However, there were plenty of insects to keep all of the attendees occupied, including one large katydid that alternated between sitting on the sheet and spooking attendees with its loud katydid calls from a nearby tree. I will post more photos from Saturday's session as I identify the insects.

Near the end of the night, just when we were thinking of wrapping up, this moth arrived and landed on the ground in front of the mercury vapor lamp. It is a Pale Beauty (Campaea perlata), a geometer notable for its large size and pale green color. A second Pale Beauty (shown below) flew in shortly after the first. The two moths displayed noticeable differences in size and color, despite being the same species.

Dave Moskowitz, who runs the moth night series, wrote a recent post on discovering the biodiversity that lurks in suburban backyards, especially insect diversity.

Butterflies and a Moth at Cold Brook Preserve

Until Saturday, I had never visited Cold Brook Reserve, a small wildlife area in northern Hunterdon County. It has a reputation as one of the best places in northern New Jersey to look for sparrows and other open-country birds, particularly during autumn migration after the preserve's fields have been harvested. On Saturday the sparrow numbers were not very high yet, though I did see individual Song, Chipping, and Field Sparrows. However, I did see a Bobolink fly over one of the fields, and there were a few hatch-year Indigo Buntings around.

While there were not a lot of sparrows, there were a lot of butterflies around. Among the most common were sulphurs. An Orange Sulphur is above; the orange color is only obvious on the tops of the wings.

I was delighted to see a Common Checkered-Skipper, which has a beautifully intricate pattern on its wings.

Another skipper at the refuge was this Dun Skipper, which I found in the brushy edge bordering the stream that flows through the refuge.

A lot of Eastern Tailed-Blues were fluttering around in the grass. These small blue butterflies have tails and hindwing spots that give the appearance of an additional face at the back of the butterfly. It is thought that these might fool predators about which end is the true head.

It is often difficult to get a good look at the uppersides of an Eastern Tailed-Blue's wings, but one individual sat with its wings open for a long time. In contrast of its light undersides, the upperwings are a dark bluish-black.

Finally, I also saw a few small moths flutter in and out of the grassy trail. Most were crambid snout moths, but one of them was this lovely Chickweed Geometer.

Moths from Sussex County

I already wrote a bit about visits to Muckshaw Ponds Preserve and Whittingham WMA. Those posts focused on the birds and dragonflies that I encountered at those two locations. In this post, I would like to show a few moths from the two preserves.

The first is a moth that was new to me. As I was trying to extricate myself from an overgrown path at Muckshaw Ponds, this tiny moth fluttered up and landed on a vine. It is a White-striped Black (Trichodezia albovittata), a type of geometer. This species is a denizen of wet woods; in its caterpillar stage, it feeds on jewelweed (Impatiens sp.).

This moth is a Wavy-lined Zanclognatha (Zanclognatha jacchusalis). Like other moths in subfamily Herminiinae, its caterpillars probably feed on dead leaves on the forest floor. The dense shade from the forest canopy meant that I had to use the camera's flash on this moth and the ones above and below it even though the day was bright and sunny.

I found Speckled Renia Moths (Renia adspergillus) at both preserves. This moth species is very common in this area; I have found it at home and elsewhere on several occasions.

Finally, this Confused Eusarca (Eusarca confusaria) was on one of the side paths at Whittingham WMA. I have yet to see a good explanation of what makes this moth confused.