The Borers of Wilson...

Whilst down at Wilson Tract on Thursday we had the great pleasure of catching a nice selection of borer moths in the genus Papaipema. These fantastic moths mostly fly from late August to mid October, with early September being the peak for many species. The larvae bore into the stems, roots and rhizomes of a variety of herbaceous plants. Some are restricted to just one plant whereas other species are generalists.

They really are prized moths and are a treat to catch and look at. However, some species can be frustratingly difficult to identify. I'm pretty sure most of these are correct but...

Having said that, the above species is pretty easy, is Papaipema baptisiae. It is quite large and smooth-looking and has a nice string of large silvery orbicular spots and wide, broken mosaic edge to the reniform. I've just lent out some of my books so cannot give you the host plants for some of these moths!


This one is Papaipema birdi. It is smaller and paler than baptisiae and shows paler, cream-colored scales at the base of the forewing. Also, the reniform spot is distinctly larger - usually just touching the pm line.


This one is Papaipema leucostigma, the Columbine Borer Moth. It is pale orange and usually has reduced orbicular spots and just a trace of white fringing the reniform spot.


Next we have Papaipema pterisii, the Bracken Borer Moth. Similar to lecostigma but note the orbicular spots are fused, or almost so. The larvae are heavily into munching on bracken...


This one was from a previous visit and was remarkably early - had never seen a borer in July before! It is Papaipena nebris, the Stalk Borer Moth. This is one of the darker species and usually, well, the ones I've seen anyway, has dark and inconspicuous orbicular and reniform spots. The white antenna and white speckling along the costa near the forewing apex are apparently distinctive. The larvae are generalists on many plants.


We caught three of these and are having trouble identifying them. Rather small and distinctively marked we figured they would be easy - ha! It is possibly Papaipema rutila - but will have to do a bit of research...


Another dark species, we think this is Papaipema nelita. The warm brown saddle and reasonably large spots seem to indicate this species. Could be that the jagged-edged pm line is distinctive?


And finally an easy one - about time! This is Papaipema inquaesita, the Sensitive Fern Borer Moth. Is pretty common and widespread, I've even caught it once in my back yard! Sandpapery orange with darker veins and sharply angled lines and no obvious spots - easy. The larval foodplant is rather predictably sensitive fern.

I do have photos of a few other species, but I think eight is enough for one post... Nice though eh?

September Warmth...

It was with some sense of anticipation and not a little excitement that MK and I motored down into the steamy depths of southern Ontario. Lured yet again by the promise of the unknown. The forecast proclaimed a low of 19 degrees, but it felt warmer - perfect! Maybe some immigrant moths were on the cards...

We walked the lines of flowers on our gracious hosts' property but came away empty handed. The flowers usually offer a few clues as to what may happen overnight - as far as immigrant species go anyhow, but there were none to be had. Oh well, it would have to be September residents then.

After setting up four traps, a couple of sheets and getting through a jar of goop on the local trees we headed towards the lakeshore along Hastings Drive, which is just the other side of the causeway before one gets to Long Point. Goop was plastered and a sheet was set up illuminated with the eerie glow of two blacklights. The locals had obviously not seen anything quite like it - but will again I can assure you!! With open water on one side and extensive marsh on the other it seemed like an interesting coastal location. It was slow at first but before long a few moths arrived, mostly on the goop. By far the nicest moth , and one I predicted I may add, was the lovely looper above. Is Plusia venusta, the White-streaked Looper Moth. I'd only seen it once before so was well chuffed! It's a subtle beauty that looks like it has been fashioned out of the sort of metallic foils one might wrap a birthday present in. Pretty much restricted to wetlands the larva feed on sedges and grasses whilst the adults fly from June to September. It appears to be somewhat local in Ontario.


A bigger surprise was the appearance of three Trachea delicata. Again, I'd seen this species just once, on Pelee Island some years ago. It was nice to have the opportunity to take a good series of photos. Is a terrific moth what with the mossy green highlights and all. I'd long thought this species should be here but thought the timing was too late - well, there's lots to learn I guess. All were fresh. We later found one in one of the traps at Mary's place. At the time of writing I'm not sure of the larval hosts, but will find out and update.


A snouty devil that should, and indeed was, around the marsh was the chunky Archanara oblonga, the Oblong Sedge Borer Moth. A bit of a September speciality (though sometimes earlier), this moth always seems a bit scarce, though I have recorded it at a few sites over the years. The larvae feed on cattails and bulrushes.


Another moth that was predicted to be on the lakeshore was Abagrotis orbis, above. There were a few of them, mostly on the goop. There are only a handful of sites in Ontario for this dune specialist so it was pleasing to add it to the Long Point list, not that there is an official list...

Portage Moths...

I've been up at the family cottage for the past couple of weeks. Is at Portage lake which is about 20 Km south of Parry Sound. Is a lovely place with nice woodland and some interesting lake shore edge habitat. It is not marshy though and the lake bed is rather clean sand. I do occasionally catch some acid bog specialists from nearby fens but mostly I catch a nice selection of woodland species.

The last two weeks of August is kind of an odd time for moths here. Too late for many of the single brooded summer species and a little too early for most of the interesting fall species like pinions and sallows. However, there are some nice species that are characteristic of this period. The lovely moth above is very much an August speciality.It is Eosphoropteryx thyatyroides, more easily known as the Pink-patched Looper Moth. I caught two, doubling my life total! The first was total trash and horribly worn - a real disappointment. However, the second, above, was quite fresh and much more pleasing. It is a shiny, metallic fellow and was very difficult to photograph so the colors stood out. Deep shade was no good. Bright sunlight worse still. I had to position the moth so it was kinda half and half and use my shutter hand to reflect some of the light onto it. It sort of worked but I was left scratching my head and feeling that there must be a better way. Gorgeous moth though. Meadow Rue is the larval foodplant.


One of my few lifers was this nice looper moth called Syngrapha altera. I was well pleased since, as you all know by now, I rate the loopers highly. This one is a bit of an identification challenge since it is quite similar to S. octoscripta. It is a bit smaller and has a somewhat different silver stigma on the forewing. It fits all the photos of the S. altera I've looked at.


My other new noctuid was the moth above - Eremobina jocasta. I've caught its cousin E. claudens here on a couple of occasions, but earlier in the season. I can't tell you much about this moth except to say that it must be pretty local within the province.


This is a large species that I only seem to catch here. It is Eurois occulta, known in UK as the Great Brocade - a very appropriate name for this impressive noctuid. I caught a few this time, but most were a bit worn and tatty. I did catch a really fresh one on the last night but I'd had enough and didn't photograph it - shameful!!


I was most disappointed to catch just one borer moth in the genus Papaipema. These are prized creatures not to be taken lightly - all are beautifully patterned in their own ways, though many are similar to one-another and pose certain identification problems. This one is Papaipema leucostigma, the Columbine Borer Moth. This is generally the commonest borer here, and the earliest one on the wing.


A great prize is this moth - Oligia bridghami, Bridgham's Brocade. I rarely catch it, and when I do they are invariably worn and grim-looking like the one above. Too bad because when fresh it is a sight to behold. I haven't caught a fresh one for over ten years now! I conclude that this is a local and scarce species in Ontario.


The darts in the genus Euxoa are very much a feature of fall moth catching. There are many of them. Some are dull and boring yet others are striking and very attractive. Very much in the latter category is the moth above Euxoa declarata. I've only caught it here and always in late August. Can't tell ya much about it right now though...


I though this was quite late. Obviously a second brood individual, I had not caught one in late August before. It is Charadra deridens, or The Laugher. An odd name for a beautiful chunky moth. It is quite common in well developed woodlands. The larvae feed on a variety of trees including beech, birches, elms, maples and oaks.


Finally, another late individual, this time the flashy prominent Nadata gibbosa, the White-dotted Prominent. A lovely moth that is common in late spring through the summer. Surely this is a second brood individual? It is common in woodlands of southern Ontario and the larvae feed on a wide variety of trees.

Hope you enjoy this fine selection - wish I could find the time to post more. Guess you'll all have to wait for the book...

Little and large...

Well, we're all well familiar with the evil Noctua pronuba - the Large Yellow Underwing. It's a Euro import that has spread widely and is now common throughout southern Ontario. In fact, if anyone has a question about a "mystery" moth it nearly always turns out to be this unwelcome character. This is partly because it does not feature in any of the popular guides. Also, they are prone to hide under bits of wood and suchlike in the garden during daylight hours and often erupt from their hiding place with a whirl of orange hindwings that attracts attention!

Anyway, this year I've started to catch its smaller cousin, namely Noctua comes, the Lesser Yellow Underwing. I've caught three thus far in my Toronto backyard trap. Another Euro import to add to all the others we get now! In the above photo you can clearly see the size difference between the two species. Lesser is usually more uniform looking generally but can be as variable as its larger cousin. Apart from size it is not as "snouty" as the big boy and looks more compact and square-ended. I dare say this devil will become as common as the the other one in the fullness of time...

A tale of two Habrosynes...

Habrosyne gloriosa, the Glorious Habrosyne.


Habrosyne scripta, the Lettered Habrosyne.

Can you spot the five differences between the two photos above? Answers on a postcard please!

I'm afraid I don't have time to go through all this now but will do so upon my return from the northlands. Something for you all to ponder as you eat yer toast and marmite in the morning...

Southern Quickie...

We are off up to the family cottage for a couple of weeks dodging the rain showers. So, I thought I'd better slip these images onto the old blog before I departed. Mike and I did another rapid moth clean-up session down at our favorite spot and, as usual, came home with some interesting records.

The weather was not the greatest. It was nice and muggy and cloudy as we were setting up the traps and lights but as dusk came around it cleared and cooled noticeably. However, we still recorded way over 200 species which seems to be the benchmark down here. Perhaps the coolest moth of the night was the one above Catocala judith, or Judith's Underwing. I've long wanted to see this one. I like the "black" underwings and since this one is quite small too it always had some appeal for me. And so there it was, in the "Britney"trap. The Britney trap is a very special trap. It is made from a salvaged overhead light fitting - the sort you might find at a railway station and has a special Britney tube acting as the main funnel - you have to see it to appreciate it. It weighs an absolute ton (bit like the real thing - sorry Britney) and is a real pig to lug around. But we like her and she tries real hard to pull out all the stops to get "the big one" on each outing. Last time it was Richia acclivis, this time judith. BTW Judith's Underwing is very local in extreme southern Ontario, flies in July and August and the larvae feed on hickories and walnuts.


Before setting up we scoured the lines of flowers hoping for a gripping butterfly. There were none, but we did see a nice selection of pyralid moths around the flowers. Intriguing was a very small Pyrausta that I saw and then couldn't find again. I was convinced it was something interesting and was certainly new for me. After some searching we found at least four of these little sprites. I jarred one and photographed it the next morning, by which time it was sadly looking worse for wear. However, good enough to identify as Pyrausta rubricalis. I don't know the status of this moth in the province as of yet.


Another interesting moth that appeared on one of the sheets was the tiny pyralid above. This one is Acentria ephemerella, the Water Veneer. I've seen this one in UK but had no idea it occurred here in Ontario. I can find no reference to it in the literature I have at hand. Is pretty distinctive in its drabness! It is very small, a pale dove gray colour with a tiny white discal spot on each wing. They rarely survive the night so I was surprised this one did!


Another nice catch was the dagger moth above - Acronicta oblinita, the Smeared Dagger Moth - but please don't be put off by the name! Is a nice-looking dagger that I don't catch very often and was a new species for the site. The adults are on the wing in spring and late summer in two broods whilst the larvae feed on a wide variety of trees, shrubs and plants.


Another moth that was new for us was this small noctuid called Meganola phylla. We caught a couple of them but I wasn't entirely sure of the identification so consulted some expert help. Luckily the call was good. We also caught the look-alike sister species M. minuscula, which is much more common and widespread, at least in Ontario.

Ear to the ground...

Another night with not a lot going on. Still, a few year ticks for the garden trap. The above tortrix is Eucosma derelecta. It is quite common in late July and August and I think is pretty much an annual visitor to the garden


The genus Caloptilia is a very distinctive one. The moths are pencil-shaped and very small, some amazingly so! They have a very characteristic resting pose with the long front legs taking all the weight of these tiny sprites. They can be tough to identify but I'm pretty sure this one is Caloptilia blandella. The larvae are leaf miners, but I'm not sure at this time on what.


I like this moth. It is Amphipoea americana, the American Ear Moth. Another common species that is on the wing in late July and August. It comes to light and also to goop slathered on tree trunks. It is quite variable with some individuals sporting gleaming white reniform spots. All are this nice shade of orange overlaid with the darker "net rigging" effect - very tasteful I'd say, though this one is slightly worn. The larvae feed on grasses and sedges.

More moth gifts...

It has been decided that Brampton is the center of the clearwing universe. Here are two examples why...


I was well gripped a few weeks ago when fellow mothman Mike found a Virginia Creeper Clearwing in his back yard. I have tons of virginia creeper in my own back yard so why can't I host this incredible moth? Anyhow, it seemed to be a one-off, but then he caught another one! Lucky for me it was the morning that we were to go mothing in the deep south (that I'll get to next post) so he brought it along so I could get some photos. I was well pleased, not only because it's a superb-looking creature but because many of these clearwings are so very hard to find without the aid of pheromone lures.


A couple of days later Mike phoned again to say he had captured yet another species of clearwing in his yard - I think that makes about five species now. This time it was this fantastic Peachtree Borer Moth. This time I travelled to the end of the subway line to collect the moth from him. Way to go Mike! What will be next.

Almost new...

The weekend before last we were all over in the lakeside town of Southampton. It was very much a case of sun, sand, beer and one very good moth! It was mostly family time so I was more than content to indulge in rounds of mini golf, hanging out on the beach, swimming and going out watching run-of-the-mill local bands. But of course the moth trap travels with us wherever we go!

On this occasion I caught two examples of the moth above. The first was a bit worn, whilst the second one, depicted above, was quite fresh. I knew straight away it was a species I'd not seen before so it was with some anticipation that I leafed through what little reference material I had at hand. Not in there! Oh well, I would have to check the MPG website upon return home. It was easy to find and turned out to be the noctuid Striacosta albicosta, or the Western Bean Cutworm Moth. Great, I had some hope that it may be a new provincial record so I sent the photos off to the experts. Well, I was ever so close and would have had a new moth for Canada had someone else not beaten me to it last year on Manitoulin Island. Oh the ups and downs of the modern moth world - one minute yer up, the next yer down! Having said that I was still very pleased...

Dullsville, Toronto...

Last night was incredibly dull for moths! It wasn't too cold but I find that moth activity is highly restricted after heavy late evening downpours. One moth that did show up for the party though was this nice Oligia modica, the Black-banded Brocade. Is not uncommon or anything but I don't think it has appeared on this blog before. I like this moth. It has some character to it that is hard to define. At rest the wings are held in a concave manner, a bit like a semi-collapsed tent! The thorax and head are all lumpy and the pattern on the forewing rather cryptic. All in all it's an OK moth. I don't catch many of them here in the garden, in fact they seem to be low density wherever I go. The adults fly mostly in late July through August whilst the larval host appears to be unknown.

Return to Dickey...

Just back from visiting friends at Dickey Lake in Hastings county. Mixed weather meant mixed fortunes with the moths. First night being too cool and clear after heavy rain all day and the next night, though being much warmer was plagued with prolonged rain. Ya just can't win! However, my persistence paid off in the end. As I checked to trap on the second morning I noticed a smart-looking looper moth resting on the ground by the trap. Quickly jarred it turned out to be the lovely Syngrapha octoscripta shown above. A true beauty. I've always been of the opinion that a new looper is worth ten of any other types, though there are a few notable exceptions...

This species is not uncommon throughout southern and central Ontario but had always eluded me for some reason, was nice to catch up with it at long last so I could get a nice series of photos. The larvae feed on blueberry.

I did catch quite a few moths on the second night but the haul consisted mostly of micros with very few noctuids. It was nice to catch two other flashy loopers in the form of Diachrysia balluca and Syngrapha rectangula.

Otherwise we enjoyed the spectacular hospitality of our gracious hosts Cynthia and Alan, ate some great food, drank copious amounts of various liquids and generally had a great time watching the antics of the kids! Looking forward to returning next year...

The greenish one...

I've had a good run of new moths for the back yard of late, mostly micros but this lovely looper was a most welcome addition. It is Syngrapha viridisigma and I've only caught one before, only one day apart from this one four years ago in Southampton. Obviously this is a very local and scarce species in Ontario. The larvae feed mostly on pines.

It is rather plain and ashy-gray in general but has delicate darker lines and a glowing metallic lime-green stigma on the forewing.

I have been quite active of late on the moth front, but also very busy - hence the lack of posts. Will try to show you some of the recent highlights over the next few days...