Four-spotted Agonopterix
This appears to be the Four-spotted Agonopterix (Agonopterix robiniella) moth. In this case I spotted it on the ground while walking my dog on a cloudy afternoon. I have no idea where you should be looking for life because anywhere you stare at this time of year leads you to something special! Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreFour-spotted Yellowneck
This extremely tiny moth seems to be a Four-spotted Yellowneck (Oegoconia quadripuncta). The wingspan of this nocturnal creature is little more than a centimeter! It is a good example of a life form the average person would never know existed if not for a targeted search and some help via mothing lights. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreLesser Maple Spanworm Face
Here is a face to face of sorts with the Lesser Maple Spanworm (Speranza pustularia). They seem to be relatively common in my experience this year, and they have a somewhat long flight season compared to some others that I have not seen repeatedly when mothing. What big eyes you have! All the better to see you with… Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreOak Sparganothis Moth
National Moth Week continues! This moth looks to be an Oak Sparganothis (Cenopis diluticostana). It is another little gem that would otherwise go unnoticed if it did not join me at the mothing lights. Putting a ruler next to some of these individuals would be helpful, but considering how jumpy some can be and how tough it can be to get set up to take a decent photo of these creatures I am going to have to wait on that. This was probably a little less than a centimeter in length. Amazingly there are some that are half the size! Even when they are right in front of you some of them can be...
Read MoreSkunk Showdown
This…this is no good. In between all of the time the pictured Striped Skunk spent foraging, digging zealously for grubs in the wet soil, it had an encounter with a local cat. I did not think this showdown was going to end well for the neighborhood feline to say the very least. I personally know this cat to be a bold, inquisitive and mostly fearless individual – in other words, a cat. I focused on the skunk in the above photo and the cat in a subsequent shot having to keep the aperture wide open in the low evening light. You can see the skunk is entirely engrossed in its snacks....
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