Linden Looper (Erannis tiliaria - 6665)

Linden Looper (Erannis tiliaria - 6665)

One of the few moth species I've been seeing on recent cool fall evenings.  Some evenings these fall and winter moths were abundant, with a dozen or more around our porch light.  All the Linden Loopers one normally sees are males.  Females are wingless.

From BugGuide: 

Range:  Alberta to Nova Scotia, south to Missouri, Georgia, Utah and Texas.

Food:  Hosts include basswood, apple, ash, beech, birch, elm, maple, oak, poplar, Prunus and Ribes.

Photo of female.

Photo of caterpillar.

Linden Looper (Erannis tiliaria - 6665)

Variegated Fritillary Caterpillar (Euptoieta claudia)

Variegated Fritillary Caterpillar (Euptoieta claudia)

Source:  BugGuide:

Range:  North America and southern South America.  Permanent resident in south. Annually spreads and colonizes northwards usaully to southern Canada. 

Habitat:  Any open sunny area particularly fields and grasslands with flowers present. Caterpillars can often be found on Pansies, Violets, Flax, and Passion Vines in flower gardens.  (This particular caterpillar was found on our basement door.  Moved to a nearby log for photographing.)

Life Cycle:  Multiple generations per year (up to two or three in north, and four or more overlapping broods in south).

Variegated Fritillary Caterpillar (Euptoieta claudia)

Black-barred Brown Moth (Plagiomimicus pityochromus - 9754)

Black-barred Brown (Plagiomimicus pityochromus - 9754)

From BugGuide:

Range: Eastern United States and southern Ontario.

Season: Adults fly from July to September.

Food: Larvae feed on Giant Ragweed (Ambrosia trifida).


See also: Moth Photographers Group

Black-barred Brown Moth (Plagiomimicus pityochromus - 9754)

Goldenrod Flower Moth (Schinia nundina - 11177)

Goldenrod Flower Moth (Schinia nundina - 11177)

From BugGuide:

Range: Found east of a line from Arizona to Minnesota and Nova Scotia.

Season: Most records are July through October.


See also: Moth Photographers Group

Goldenrod Flower Moth (Schinia nundina - 11177)

Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle (Harmonia axyridis)

Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle (Harmonia axyridis)

Warm fall temperatures are bringing out many of these Asian invaders. 

For more details, please see BugGuide.

Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle (Harmonia axyridis)

Longhorned Beetle (Purpuricenus humeralis)

Habitat: Forests in eastern North America.

Food: Larva bore into dead branches of various hardwoods.

Source: BugGuide.

Longhorned Beetle (Purpuricenus humeralis)

Filigreed Chimoptesis (Chimoptesis pennsylvaniana - 3273)

Filigreed Chimoptesis
(Chimoptesis pennsylvaniana - 3273)

Identification: Adult: forewing dark gray to blackish with white tri-lobed strip along inner margin, sometimes tinted with green; black V-shaped mark at anal angle; several small white spots along costa; hindwing gray with dark double terminal line and wide fringe.

Range: Pennsylvania and Massachusetts to Florida, west to Texas and at least Indiana.

Season: Adults fly in March and April in the northeast; perhaps earlier and later in the southeast.

Links:

BugGuide
MPG

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Filigreed Chimoptesis (Chimoptesis pennsylvaniana - 3273)

Chosen Sallow Moth (Psaphida electilis - 10012)

Chosen Sallow Moth
(Psaphida electilis - 10012)

Identification: The coloration of this species shows geographical variation: northern specimens tend to have dark gray forewings with contrasting reddish-brown markings; southern specimens are usually paler gray and less contrasting overall, with little or no brown in the forewings. (Dean Edwards)

Range: Quebec and Ontario to Florida, west to Texas and Wisconsin.

Habitat: Deciduous woodlands; adults are nocturnal and come to light.

Season: Adults fly in April and May. Larvae present from mid to late spring.

Food: larvae feed on leaves of hickory and walnut.

Life Cycle: One generation per year; eggs are laid on buds of hostplant; overwinters as a pupa in soil, sometimes for more than a single year.


BugGuide
MPG

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Chosen Sallow Moth (Psaphida electilis - 10012)

Ipsilon Dart (Agrotis ipsilon - 10663)

Ipsilon Dart
(Agrotis ipsilon - 10663)

This moth -- like many, actually, -- is not a friend of gardeners. Dart moths are also known as cutworm moths. Likewise, the Ipsilon Dart's larva is also known as a Black or Greasy Cutworm.

Range: Throughout most of North America except the Arctic.

Habitat: Croplands, fields, gardens.

Food: Larvae feed on many cultivated plants (e.g. clover, corn, lettuce, potatoes, tobacco) plus grasses.

This is a female based upon her simple antennae. She is feeding on moth bait.

Links:
BugGuide
Moth Photographers Group
University of Florida Featured Creature

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Ipsilon Dart (Agrotis ipsilon - 10663)

Armyworm Moth (Mythimna unipuncta - 10438)

Armyworm Moth
(Mythimna unipuncta - 10438)

Identification: Forewing tan, often tinged with orange and lightly speckled with black. A couple of more orange spots on each wing is typical. Ditto for a couple of small white dots with a white line passing through them.

Habitat: Common to abundant throughout North American except for the Arctic. Also found in other locations throughout the world.

Food: Larvae are generalist feeders on many species of plants: alfalfa, corn and other grains, grasses, vegetables, many weeds and other wild plants, leaves of fruit trees and ornamentals.

Life Cycle: Two or three generations per year; overwinters as either a pupa or partially-grown larva which pupates in the spring.

Remarks: Moth was photographed on moth bait, a mixture that's mostly brown sugar with enough beer to liquify and a tablespoon of molasses. It supposedly mimics tree sap upon which many moths feed.

To see photos of this moth's complete life cycle including caterpillar, pupa and adult moth, please see Ilona Loser's excellent post on BugGuide.

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Armyworm Moth (Mythimna unipuncta - 10438)

Leaf-footed Bug (Leptoglossus clypealis)

Leaf-footed Bug
Leptoglossus clypealis

Identification: The wavy white line across the back strongly suggests this species. The spine extending forwards from the tip of the nose (tylus) confirms species ID.

Range: Based on the range map on BugGuide, Leptoglossus clypealis can be found throughout most of North America. However, it often occurs in large numbers in the Southwest where is is considered a pest species in pistacio and almond orchards because it feeds on the nuts. My limited records indicate L. clypealis is usually seen in the Ozarks during late fall and early winter.

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Leaf-footed Bug (Leptoglossus clypealis)

Large Tolype Moth (Tolype velleda – 7670)

Large Tolype Moth

Tolype velleda – 7670

Range: Nova Scotia to central Florida, west to Texas, north to Ontario.

Life cycle: Only one generation per year. Usually a late summer or fall species.

Food: Larvae feed on leaves of a variety of broadleaf trees and shrubs.

Links:
BugGuide
Moth Photographers Group
BAMONA

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Large Tolype Moth (Tolype velleda – 7670)

Moth (Epipagis huronalis - 5147)

Identification: The antemedial (AM) line of the hindwing is broken and does not extend all the way across the wing.

Range: North Carolina to Florida to Texas.

5148 - Epipagis disparilis which has a heavy and continuous antemedial line on the hind wing.

Links:
BugGuide
MPG
BAMONA

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Moth (Epipagis huronalis - 5147)

Black-and-yellow Lichen Moth (Lycomorpha pholus - #8087)

Range: Nova Scotia to North Carolina, west to South Dakota and Texas.

Life History: A day-flier, often seen on flowers such as goldenrod. May take several years to develop, especially in the north. Hairy cocoons are attached to rocks or tree trunks near the former food source.

Flight: July-September.

Caterpillar Hosts: Lichens.

Resource Links:
BugGuide
MPG
BAMONA

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Black-and-yellow Lichen Moth (Lycomorpha pholus - #8087)

Carolina Mantis (Stagmomantis carolina)

Female Carolina Mantis just hanging around in the fog and adorned with remnants of spider webbing. (Species details from BugGuide.)

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Carolina Mantis (Stagmomantis carolina)

Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus)

Silver-Spotted Skipper on Purple Coneflower

Both butterfly and the coneflower are past their prime, but still worthy of a few pixels, I think.


According to BugGuide,  Silver-Spotted Skippers range throughout southern Canada and most of the continental United States except the Great Basin and west Texas; northern Mexico.


Caterpillar Hosts: Many woody legumes including black locust (Robinia pseudacacia), honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) and false indigo (Amorpha species).


More information and photos are also available from Butterflies and Moths of North America.

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Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus)

Io Moth (Automeris io) - Male

A very common moth throughout eastern North America and north to southern Canada.  They range west to southern Arizona and south to Central America, at least as far as Costa Rica.  Larvae feed on a wide variety of host plants -- over 100 recorded plant genera in North America -- , including such diverse plants as azaleas, blackberry, clover, cotton, current, hackberry, hibiscus, mesquite, palms, rear, redbud, roses and willows.  (University of Florida "Featured Creature")

Prominent eye spots on hind wings are distinctive and found on both males and females.  Males are usually yellow while females are a rusty red color.

(Previous post includes photos of female, eggs and caterpillars.) 

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Io Moth (Automeris io) - Male

First Luna Moth of the Season

The first Luna Moth (Actias luna) we've seen this season was on the window screen outside our computer room/office early Friday morning. Based on its large antennae and tails, I'd say this is a male.  Here in the south, Luna moths have enough time to go through three life cycles before the weather turns cold again. Actias luna only live for about a week in this final moth stage of their life.  They do not feed.  In fact, they have incomplete mouth parts and no digestive system.  Their only purpose as adult moths is to find a mate and breed, and for females to lay eggs so their life cycle can continue.  For complete species details, please see BugGuide.

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First Luna Moth of the Season

Banded Hickory Borer (Knulliana cincta cincta)

Banded Hickory Borer (Knulliana cincta cincta)

Longhorned Beetle (Cerambycidae)

Range: Eastern North America to western Texas, south to northern Mexico..

Food: Larvae feed on dead and seasoned branches and limbs of hardwood species, including oak and hickory.

Life Cycle: Eggs are laid in crevices in the bark, or directly into the wood. Larvae feed the first season beneath the bark, then head deeper into the wood.

Identification:   Markings may be absent.  Prominent spines on sides of the pronotum and at the elytra apices. The scutellum is considerably longer than broad.  There are no other NE longhorns of similar size and coloration that have strong spines on the femora, pronotum, and elytral apices.

Last week -- prior to our weather's return to winter-like conditions -- these longhorned beetles were numerous under our porch light.

Join the Macro Monday fun at Lisa's Chaos.

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Banded Hickory Borer (Knulliana cincta cincta)

Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus)

My world is becoming repopulated with butterflies like this Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus). This is the spring form of this butterfly. The summer form is darker. (Photo here.)


Range: Primarily the southeastern United States. More uncommon in the northeast. Occasionally makes it as far north as southern Ontario.


Food: Adults take nectar from flowers and also take fluids from damp ground, as the butterfly in the photo above is doing. The larvae host plant is Pawpaw.

To participate in Camera Critters and/or find links to other critter photos, please click the logo above.

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Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus)