From a vacation up north, part 2
May 16, 2020 10:41:17 #
Here are more pictures from our vacation into the upper peninsula of Michigan. One night I set up a lantern against a white sheet in a remote clearing, and waited for a few hours to photograph the insects that were drawn in. Nights get pretty cool up there, which did hamper things, but I still had several visitors.
First up is a large caddisfly. There were lots of these. Identifying insects from this order is exceptionally hard, but it could be Ptilostomis sp.
Caddisfly by Mark Sturtevant, on Flickr
Next are moths. Some could be ID’ed, and others not so much. But who doesn’t like fluffy moths? First among these is Gluphisia septentrionis , which is in the prominent moth family.
Gluphisia moth by Mark Sturtevant, on Flickr
Followed by another prominent moth, Heterocampa guttivitta .
Heterocampa by Mark Sturtevant, on Flickr
This yellow moth has me stumped so far, as there is no good match in BugGuide that I can see. It resembles moths in the slug caterpillar family, but also in the owlet moth group. Inquiries have been made. I have people who are doing nothing but work on the identity of this moth right now.
Moth by Mark Sturtevant, on Flickr
But this striking white moth was super easy, as moths in the inchworm family tend to be very obvious. This is the tulip tree beauty, Epimecis hortaria .
Tulip tree beauty by Mark Sturtevant, on Flickr
I could hear the final visitor flying in from a ways off, and it landed with an audible thump. This pretty-good-sized long horn beetle turned out to be the poplar borer, Saperda calcarata .
Poplar borer by Mark Sturtevant, on Flickr
Poplar borer by Mark Sturtevant, on Flickr
First up is a large caddisfly. There were lots of these. Identifying insects from this order is exceptionally hard, but it could be Ptilostomis sp.
Caddisfly by Mark Sturtevant, on FlickrNext are moths. Some could be ID’ed, and others not so much. But who doesn’t like fluffy moths? First among these is Gluphisia septentrionis , which is in the prominent moth family.
Gluphisia moth by Mark Sturtevant, on FlickrFollowed by another prominent moth, Heterocampa guttivitta .
Heterocampa by Mark Sturtevant, on FlickrThis yellow moth has me stumped so far, as there is no good match in BugGuide that I can see. It resembles moths in the slug caterpillar family, but also in the owlet moth group. Inquiries have been made. I have people who are doing nothing but work on the identity of this moth right now.
Moth by Mark Sturtevant, on FlickrBut this striking white moth was super easy, as moths in the inchworm family tend to be very obvious. This is the tulip tree beauty, Epimecis hortaria .
Tulip tree beauty by Mark Sturtevant, on FlickrI could hear the final visitor flying in from a ways off, and it landed with an audible thump. This pretty-good-sized long horn beetle turned out to be the poplar borer, Saperda calcarata .
Poplar borer by Mark Sturtevant, on FlickrPoplar borer by Mark Sturtevant, on FlickrMay 16, 2020 11:08:20 #
May 16, 2020 13:08:37 #
May 16, 2020 16:11:36 #
The crack team at BugGuide has answered about the mystery moth: Malacosoma disstria, the forest tent caterpillar moth. I see the adults are pretty variable.
May 17, 2020 02:36:34 #
That was a good night's work, lovely shots. The beetle shows up really well on the white background.
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