Looking much like the Northrop B-2 Spirit, Stealth Bomber. But don’t get confused, it’s a moth. A Dark-spotted Palthis (Palthis angulalis). The caterpillar of this Palthis eats leaves (living or dead) of shrubs and trees, including Alder, Ash, Basswood, Birch, Pine, Spruce, Willow; and of forbs including Aster and Goldenrod. I love that they eat dead leaves. Much appreciated. And they’re found Newfoundland west to coastal British Columbia, south to Florida and Texas.
Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillar (Euchaetes egle). This caterpillar just might alarm you if you’re growing milkweed with Monarch Butterflies in mind. No need to worry though. The Milkweed Tussock Moth and the Monarch Butterfly have grown up in the “same neighborhood” side by side, sharing the bounty. Both butterfly and moth caterpillars are eating a poison contained in the milkweed called cardiac glycosides (cardenolides) to provide protection, making both creatures distasteful to birds and bats. As adult moths, the Milkweed Tussock Moth is able to communicate with bats emitting an ultrasonic click which bats take as a warning to stay away. Mighty clever.
Those of us who are growing milkweed to help the plight of the Monarch Butterfly might consider that the Milkweed Tussock Moth would appreciate our help as well. The photo above gives you a glimpse of Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillars in various stages of development. Let them dine at the milkweed plants with the Monarchs!
Little Wood Satyr (Megisto cymela). Not brightly colored. Not large. But this is not a moth but it is a butterfly. Its wingspan is 1.5 to 1.875 inches. They often perch with wings wide open on the leaves of trees or in leaf litter.
Larval host plants are sundry grasses such as Kentucky Bluegrass, Orchard Grass, Centipede Grass and some sedges. As adults they feed on sap, fruit, carrion, aphid honeydew and in unusual occasions nectar. Their caterpillars overwinter in leaf litter, emerging in the spring.
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A moth that flies during the day, diurnal. A Black and Yellow Lichen Moth (Lycomorpha pholus). Though the name implies the color yellow you can see that this one, above, is reddish-orange along with the striking black with a subtle blue sheen. Many of this species of moth come in shades of not just yellow but also red and orange along with that black.
Black and Yellow Lichen Moths are found in North America from Ontario and Quebec down into the eastern United States. In my photos you can see these moths enjoying the nectar of Goldenrod and Apple Mint.
The larvae of Black and Yellow Lichen Moths eat lichens and blue-green algae. From these meals they pick up chemical compounds produced by the lichen which provides protection both for the caterpillars but also for the adult moths. Predators beware! These Black and Yellow Lichen Moths are poisonous!
Yesterday a dear friend let me know that we’re in the middle of National Moth Week (July 17-25, 2021). I had no idea such a thing existed! But now, with that in mind, I present the Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth (Speranza pustularia). Like many moths, this one is nocturnal and is attracted to porch lights. Their favorite host plant is Red Maple but will settle for other Maple trees, and many others trees like Birch, Poplar, Fir, and Hemlock. After mating females lay their eggs on host tree branches in the fall. Surprisingly those eggs survive through the winter, hatching in late spring or early summer. The caterpillar pupates, or creates a cocoon and takes about ten days to emerge as a moth, at the end of summer. And then the whole process begins again.
You may see one at a porch light late at night or lapping up juices from some fermenting fruit. Locust Underwing (Euparthenos nubilis).
Larvae of Locust Underwing feed on Locust trees favoring Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia). There are two broods from April to September.
The native range of this moth is from Maine and Ontario, to northern Florida. West to Nebraska and Arizona. Quite the eye-catching moth if you are fortunate and get a glimpse of that black and orange underwing.
Ailanthus Webworm Moth (Atteva aurea). A moth that fools many. Erroneously thought to be a beetle because of its bright colors and its adults taking in flower nectar during the day. And that shape, how can that be a moth?
The Ailanthus Webworm Moth is native to southern Florida and the American tropics. There it has had a host plant of native Paradise Trees (Simarouba). Way back in 1748 Tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima) was brought from its native China to the United States by a Pennsylvania gardener as a decorative plant, and in 1840 it was commercially available. Fast forward to present day and Tree-of-heaven has spread across most of the United States.
The Ailanthus Webworm Moth has, also over the years decided that Tree-of-heaven is its favorite host plant and has spread its range. This moth doesn’t tolerate freezing weather. Cold winters wipe out northern populations but spring brings Ailanthus Webworm Moths expanding their range northward again, starting from warmer areas.
