First Moth of the Year

The mothing season here has officially begun with this sighting of the first moth of the year. Yesterday morning I was heading down to the small stream that flows through my property to set up a minnow trap which I use to monitor aquatic life in the stream. On the way a small moth flew towards me and then landed in the snow. I scooped it up into a paper towel and brought it back to the house where I photographed it. I’m not sure of the species but I think this moth is in the Family Tortricidae. It looks a lot like some members of the genus Apotomis but that’s just my guess for now. I wonder if this moth overwintered as an adult or as a pupa.

I went back to the stream in the afternoon to look for more moths. There was a rove beetle (Orochares?), a water scavenger beetle (Hydrobius), and spiders (most were Thanatus) on the melting snow but no moths. Today and into the weekend it will be much warmer with temperatures at or above 60°F. That should increase insect and spider activity which I think I will go see right now.

More Moths

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Eight more moths for the checklist: Mint Root Borer (Fumibotys fumalis), Deceptive Snout Moth (Hypena deceptalis), Bronzy Macrochilo (Macrochilo orciferalis), Forage Looper (Caenurgina erechtea), Purple-backed Cabbageworm (Evergestis pallidata), White-banded Toothed Carpet (Epirrhoe alternata), Labrador Carpet (Xanthorhoe labradorensis), and Dark Marbled Carpet (Dysstroma citrata) bringing it to 161 species identified. There were three repeated names, a genus name with no species epithet, and one name from a set of photos misidentified as Xanthorhoe ferrugata but really Euphyia intermediata (already on the list). Those last two are members of the “Carpets” which because of their intricate patterns can be a challenge to differentiate. When the dust settled the actual number of species on April 05 was not 158 but 153. Adding these eight species on April 10 makes the total for the checklist 161 species.

Some Brief Facts

Mint Root Borer (Fumibotys fumalis) – not well liked wherever mint (Mentha spp.) is grown as its larvae feed on mint leaves and then as they get older on the roots and rhizomes.

Deceptive Snout Moth (Hypena deceptalis) – this moth confused me at first and I misidentified it as Gray-edged Hypena (Hypena madefactalis) which was wishful thinking on my part. After going over many photos of each species at Moth Photographers Group and Bug Guide it became clear my initial identification was wrong. The larvae of Deceptive Snout Moth feed on leaves of American basswood (Tilia americana). Members of Hypena are specialized feeders.

Bronzy Macrochilo (Macrochilo orciferalis) – food preferences of this species larvae are grasses but many others in the subfamily (Herminiinae, Litter Moths) eat dead leaves and leaf litter.

Forage Looper (Caenurgina erechtea) – larvae feed on a variety of grasses and legumes grown for forage and hay including alfalfa and the weedy plant giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida).

Purple-backed Cabbageworm (Evergestis pallidata) – possibly introduced to North America in the early 1800s the larvae of this moth feed on many members of the mustard family including bittercress (Cardamine spp.), cabbage, and horseradish.

White-banded Toothed Carpet (Epirrhoe alternata) – the larvae of this species feed on bedstraw (Galium spp.).

Labrador Carpet (Xanthorhoe labradorensis) – larvae feed on many species of woody and herbaceous plants

Dark Marbled Carpet (Dysstroma citrata) – larvae feed on blackberry, raspberry, and thimbleberry (Rubus spp.), alder (Alnus spp.), willow (Salix spp.) and several other woody and herbaceous plant species.

The list keeps growing

Just before publishing this I added seven more species: Crambus leachellus, Agriphila ruricolellus, Palpita magniferalis, Monopis monachella, Epinotia lindana, and possibly Herpetogramma aeglealis and Dichomerus fistuca (these last two seem at least to be in the right genus) bringing the total to 168 species identified. The list keeps on growing as I sort through photos and to that list can be added 219 photos of yet to be identified species. Given that there are an estimated 1,500 to 2,200 moth species in Minnesota the possibility of 600 to 900 moth species in my county does not seem far-fetched. I hope to add another 100 species this summer as I explore new areas at night on my property (not just the porch) and search for moth larvae by day.

Corrections

In the April 05 post “Four new finds in the moth photo files and a rediscovery” I mentioned I had found Ancylis albacostana. It turns out I had not but instead had misidentified Capis curvata as that species. They are similar especially if the white band on the ends of the forewing is wide on C. curvata. A. albacostana is somewhat rare in northern Minnesota where I live so chances of finding it are small (but not impossible).

What I had previously thought was Toothed Brown Carpet (Xanthorhoe lacustrata) in an earlier version of this post is White-banded Toothed Carpet (Epirrhoe alternata).

SOURCES AND MORE INFORMATION

D. Beadle and S. Leckie (2012). Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, Boston. 640 pages.

R. E. Berry and L. B. Coop (2000). Mint Root Borer Lepidoptera: Pyralidae Fumibotys fumalis. Publication No. IPPC E.01-01-1. Oregon State University, Department of Entomology and Integrated Plant Protection Center, Corvallis, Oregon. October 24, 2000.

E. M. Quinn and R. Danielson (2009). A Survey of Lepidoptera in Three Priority Areas of the Minnesota State Parks System Final Report. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources – Division of Parks and Trails. 49 pages.

Robinson, G. S., P. R. Ackery, I. J. Kitching, G. W. Beccaloni and L. M. Hernández (2010). HOSTS – A Database of the World’s Lepidopteran Hostplants. Natural History Museum, London. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/hosts.

J. Sogaard (2009). Moths and Caterpillars of the North Woods. Kollath+Stensaas Publishing. Duluth, MN. 276 pages.

D. Schweitzer, J. R. Garris, A. E. McBride, and J. A. M. (2014). The current status of forest Macrolepidoptera in northern New Jersey: evidence for the decline of understory specialists. Appendix D. Journal of Insect Conservation. Vol. 18, Issue 4, pages 561–571.

Species accounts at the Bug Guide website

Moth Photographers Group website (check out their Plate Series)

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum website

About a year ago

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Its hard to believe when I walk in the woods now but last year by the second week of April almost all of the snow had melted, plants were beginning to grow in sunny patches under the trees, frogs were laying eggs, and insects from bees to bugs were active. But this year everywhere I look there is deep snow and cold temperatures. In the spruce and tamarack woods there is only the occasional call of the chickadees and nuthatches. Spring flowers are a long way off.

Four new finds in the moth photo files and a rediscovery

Cosmopterix fernaldella (in red circle). C. fernaldella measures about 5 to 6 mm long. The larger moth is unidentified for now.

One looks like a positve id: Cosmopterix fernaldella (Fernald’s Cosmopterix Moth). Photos of the other three, Olethreutes glaciana (a leaf-roller moth), Olethreutes permundana (Raspberry Leaf-roller Moth), and Capis curvata (Curved Halter Moth), are little blurry but have sufficient detail I think to make a species determination. O. permundana is the only one I am not completely sure of but it seems to fall within the variation for that species.

A very detailed description of Cosmopterix fernaldella is in The genera Cosmopterix Hübner and Pebobs Hodges in the New World with special attention to the Neotropical fauna (Lepidoptera: Cosmopterigidae) on pages 330 to 332.

The larva of Cosmopterix fernaldella is a leaf miner (feeds on leaf tissue in between the upper and lower surface layers of the leaf) on Carex (sedges, Family Cyperaceae). The leaves of Carex lacustris are mentioned in Insects (Diptera , Coleoptera, Lepidoptera) Reared from Wetland Monocots (Cyperaceae, Poaceae, Typhaceae) in Southern Quebec as a larval host on page 305. The US range of Cosmopterix fernaldella is from Maine to the Lower Peninsula of Michigan south to New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and as far west as Wisconsin and Minnesota. In Canada it ranges from Quebec to Ontario and British Columbia. Range map at Moth Photographers Group.

Cosmopterix fernaldella is in the Superfamily Gelechioidea, Family Cosmopterigidae, Subfamily Cosmopteriginae.

Olethreutes glaciana larvae feed on maple (Acer), birch (Betula), and cottonwood (Populus). Range map at Moth Photographers Group.

Olethreutes permundana larvae feed on a variety of plant species from many families including meadowsweet (Spiraea salicifolia), ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius), staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina), hazel (Corylus), sweetgale (Myrica), and hickory (Carya). Range map at Moth Photographers Group.

Ancylis albacostana larvae feed on maple (Acer). Range map at Moth Photographers Group. EDIT (04-13-2018): And a correction. After finding more photos of this moth in my files and going through the Plate Series at the Moth Photographers Group I think it is really Capis curvata. Larvae of C. curvata probably feed on sedges. Well, there is always this summer to find Ancylis albacostana.

Olethreutes glaciana and O. permundana are in the Superfamily Tortricoidea, Family Tortricidae, Subfamily Olethreutinae, Tribe Olethreutini and C. curvata is in the Family Noctuidae, Subfamily Eustrotiinae.

Update on Eucosma (Pelochrista) dorsisgnatana and E. (Pelochrista) similiana: I found a few photos of the latter in my August files and have added its name back to the checklist which stands at 158 species now. I knew I’d seen E. (Pelochrista) similiana before. Both species are shown below.

Both species are in the Superfamily Tortricoidea, Family Tortricidae, Subfamily Olethreutinae, Tribe Eucosmini. Recent taxonomic revisions now place many species once in Eucosma into Pelochrista. Larvae of both species feed on the roots of goldenrod (Solidago). Range maps for E. dorsisignatana and E. similiana can be found at the Moth Photographers Group.

SOURCES

D. Beadle and S. Leckie (2012). Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, Boston. 640 pages.

F. Beaulieu and T. A. Wheeler (2002). Insects (Diptera , Coleoptera, Lepidoptera) Reared from Wetland Monocots (Cyperaceae, Poaceae, Typhaceae) in Southern Quebec. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. Volume 104, No. 2, pages 300 to 308.

J. C. Koster (2010). The genera Cosmopterix Hübner and Pebobs Hodges in the New World with special attention to the Neotropical fauna (Lepidoptera: Cosmopterigidae). Zoologische Mededelingen, 84 (2010), pages 251 to 575.

Bug Guide website

Moth Photographers Group website