Delaware Skipper Butterfly (Anatrytone logan)

(Photo: 7/01/09 by Marvin)

Delaware Skipper Butterfly (Anatrytone logan)

Definitely a Skipper.

Definitely a Grass Skipper.

IDed on BugGuide as a Delaware Skipper.

According to Butterflies and Moths of North America:

Identification: Wings are bright yellow-orange. Upperside has black borders and black veins near the margins; forewing has a black bar at the end of the cell. Females have wider borders and darker markings than males. Underside has no markings but may have darker orange veins.

Wing span: 1 - 1 11/16 inches.

Range: Southern Maine west across the Great Lakes states and southern Canada to central Montana; south to Florida, the Gulf states, Texas, northeastern New Mexico, and the Mexican highlands to El Salvador.

(Please go to the Butterflies and Moths website for more information on this species.)

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Delaware Skipper Butterfly (Anatrytone logan)

Dead-Wood Borer Moth (Scolecocampa liburna)

Dead-Wood Borer Moth

(Scolecocampa liburna)

Identification:   Forewings very pale with large black-bordered reniform spot.

Range:  Eastern North America.

Habitat:  Deciduous forests.

Life Cycle:  Larvae feed inside decaying logs of deciduous trees, particularly oak and hickory. They may actually be feeding on the fungi inside the rotting log and not the wood itself.

Hodges:  8514

Comments:  With all the dead oak and hickory we have laying around because of a severe ice storm this past January, this species may soon experience a population boom.

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Dead-Wood Borer Moth (Scolecocampa liburna)

Stinging Rose Caterpillar Moth (Parasa indetermina)

Common Name: Stinging Rose Caterpillar Moth

Scientific Name: Parasa indetermina

Hodges: #4699

Family: Limacodidae (Slug Caterpillar Moths)

Range: Eastern United States (New York to Florida, west to Missouri and Texas).

Caterpillar host species: Apple, dogwood, hickory, maples, oaks, poplars, and rose bushes.

Slug Caterpillars (from Auburn University ): Slug caterpillars bear little resemblance to the typical caterpillar. The head is hidden within the thorax; thoracic legs are reduced; and prolegs are modified to sucker-like lobes without crochets. Movement is slow, gliding, slug-like.

Similar Species: Smaller Parasa (Parasa chloris) Besides being a little larger, the forewing of P. indetermina is more rounded and has a dark patch midway in the brown terminal band.

Caterpillars: A Stinging Rose Caterpillar is one of the more gaudy examples of Aposematic coloration ((from apo- away, and sematic sign/meaning). It sends a clear signal that it should not be eaten -- or even handled, since the caterpillar's body is covered with stinging spines. The University of Arkansas has a great photo of the caterpillar and drawing of the spines.

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Stinging Rose Caterpillar Moth (Parasa indetermina)