Banded Tussock Moth
This is the Banded Tussock Moth (Halysidota tessellaris), a species I particularly loved discovering with that blue and orange mohawk look! It decided to stay very close to the porch light. It ended up a little too close getting some cobwebs on it that you can see in the profile view. However, it seemed to have been able to shake them off because the next time I checked on what was at my lights I did not see it. The more mothing I do the more addictive it becomes, and I can see why Roger Tory Peterson spent so much time on it…but I cannot possibly imagine how he did it without...
Read MoreStreaked Orange Moth (Nascia acutella)
This appears to be a Streaked Orange moth (Nascia acutella), a species that the Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America by David Beadle and Seabrooke Leckie describes as “uncommon” with its host plant “presumably grasses and sedges”. It is an example of how little we know about some of these scarce, cryptic, often local or specialized moth species. Only by extensive searching and subsequent discovery can we begin to unravel the mysteries of their life histories.
Read MoreClose-banded Yellowhorn
Here we have what looks to be a Close-banded Yellowhorn (Colocasia propinquilinea) moth, one of a few dozen species that I enjoyed seeing while mothing this weekend. I will be sharing moths all spring, summer, and fall, in part to honor one of young Roger Tory Peterson’s hobbies, and something that helped foster his passion for the natural world in our Wild America. This pastime is as easy as turning on an outside light at night and seeing what shows up. The very difficult part comes in identifying these (mostly) nocturnal creatures! I do have the superb Peterson Field Guide to Moths...
Read More
