E hënë Moth

% title

Schinia villosa

 

This Monday’s moth is a duo of Schinia villosa (Noctuidae) resting on what I am assuming is their host plant (Erigeron sp.). I snapped this shot around 9,000 feet up on the Kaibab plateau in Northern Arizona last month. A fire must have burned the area a few years ago because the wildflowers were thick amongst charred remains of ponderosa pines and these moths were everywhere.

Insektet e I Filipine

Rreth një muaj më parë Akademia e Shkencave e Kalifornisë filloi një të plotë ekspeditë në Filipine. Ndërsa shumica e parave është shpenzuar në një anije aeroplan dhe ekipet pikiatë, atje ishte një komponent tokësor. Ndërsa unë nuk e kam marrë për të shkuar (dhe u ul në shtëpi dhe pouted), Unë fola disa nga kolegët e mi merimangë për të mbledhur lepidoptera për mua. E them rrallë këtë, por ata bënë një punë të mrekullueshme duke mbledhur leps, dhe ngadalë po punoj me bujarinë e tyre (falë Nataliya, Vanessa dhe Hannah!). Këtu është një nga fluturat e pakta që kapën – dhe po mendoj se kjo madje doli në dritë pasi ishte e mbushur me tenja (të cilat fluturat e bëjnë herë pas here). Kjo Lycaenidae mahnitëse është Catapaecilma evansi, identifikuar nga Davidi (indowings) gjatë në Rrjeta e insekteve, falënderim!

% title

Catapaecilma evansi (Lycaenidae)

E hënë Moth

Javën e kaluar Jim Hayden mendoi molë I postuar ishte nje Oecophoridae Australian. Ajo ishte një mend mirë, sepse ka insekte kaq shumë të mëdha dhe mahnitëse në këtë familje nga Australia. Një nga më të mirë duhet të jetë kjo një, Wingia lambertella (Oecophoridae), kapur në Malin e Zi në Kanberra tetor 23, 1955 (CAS koleksione). Larvat ushqehen me Eukalipt – dhe unë për një do të doja që kjo të ishte një specie e prezantuar këtu. Ne i kemi këto pemë pushtuese të bezdisshme kudo, pse jo tenja për të shkuar me?

% title

Wingia lambertella (Oecophoridae)

 

Genius i XX Shtypit

Kjo GOP është më pak e një sfidë dhe më shumë një përmbledhjen e thjeshtë të fotografisë aksioneve të mjerueshme. Alex Wild and others have long ago pointed out the massive failings of many stock photo sites – por këtu është një përmbledhjen e shkurtër dhe e dhimbshme lep duke përdorur Google.

Hap 1: Image Search “molë në lule”.

Hap 2: Facepalm.

Here is a caption of the first page of results. Excluding the photos that have no moths and aremoth flowers” (= Phalaenopsis orchids) – only 4 nga 18 images are correct! I might give you 6/18 if you count two obviously staged photosbut here is my list of reasons starting with 1= top left and 26 = bottom right. (list below)

1) Në rregull, good start! This looks like a Manduca specie (Sphingidae) feeding on a Datura flower. I’ve seen this myself in the wildgreat capture!

2) Orchid

3) Downhill we go. Obviously a butterflyPhoebis specie (Pieridae).

4) Lycaenidae butterflyCallophrys specie.

5) Hesperiidaeskipper butterfly.

6) Another moth! Looks like an Autographa specie (Noctuidae).

7) Certainly a moth, however something I’m unfamiliar with.

8 ) Hyles sphinx moth nectaring. Blurry, but a moth!

9) Another skipper. Just because it’s brown doesn’t mean it’s a moth.

10) Orchid

11) Luna moth on flower. Në rregull, yes it’s a mothbut I’m sorry, a pretty obviously staged photograph. Actias luna does not have mouthpartsyou’d never find one willingly sitting on a flower.

12) Yet another skipper butterfly.

13) Orchid

14) Vanessa butterfly! I thought the Painted Lady was about as obvious of a butterfly as possible.

15) Orchid

16) Orchid

17) Pieridae butterfly on a flower.

18) Orchid

19) Cisseps molë (Arctiinae) – our last real moth photograph. The webpage has it identified as Pyromorpha dimidiata (Zygaenidae), however the antennae are wrong and this is most likely a tiger moth in the Ctenuchinae.

20) Oh come on, butterfly! Polygonia specie.

21) Molë – por, stagedI’ve never come across a Sphingidae resting on a flower like this. While this family readily nectars at flowers, they don’t tend to sit on them like idiots.

22) Orchid

23) Orchid

24) Butterfly, Phyciodes specie.

25) Worst staged photograph ever. It’s a spread specimen that may or may not have been photoshopped onto the flower (it looks wonky). Broken antennae, torn up wingsYou can also see the shadow from the camera strap on the moth’s left forewing. Yet somehow it won a medal from some group on Flickr.

26) Same butterfly as 24, in color.

 

Uh, horrible exercise over.

E hënë Moth

PËRGJIGJEN: Kjo nuk ishte e lehtë – por kjo molë e madhe dhe e bukur ishte nga Australia dhe është në Xyloryctidae familjes (Philarista sp.). We have a handful of representatives of this group here in the US and Ted MacRae over on Beetles in the Bush has a few great photographs of them. Somehow I think we got the short end of the stick because this family reaches the peak of its staggering diversity in Australia. It’s amazing to me that this animal is related to the tiny grey flower moths we have!

Jim Hayden was closest with the guess of an Australian Oecophoridwhich I have photographed for next week.

If you’re interested in learning more about this family go check out the Insekte Xyloryctine e Australisë blog!

 

This week I’m going to make the moth into a challenge. Who can tell me what familjare this is? Any takers on genus/species? My only hint is that this is a pretty hefty sized moth measuring in at over 53mm and it’s from the California Academy collections.

 

Beetle me krahë rrjetë

These large and interesting Lycidae beetles (Lycus fernandezi) were abundant in south eastern Arizona a few weeks ago. Constantly flying between flowers and moist sand they were making for easy photography targets. I thought to myselfhere is a great opportunity to catch a beetle taking off!”.

Wait for it

% title

Lycus fernandezi (Lycidae)

 

Wait for it

% title

Lycus fernandezi (Lycidae)

Crap.

% title

Lycus fernandezi (Lycidae)

If it hadn’t been 105 degrees out and I didn’t have a cloud of flies clinging to my face I would have fixed my camera settings and waited for another chance. But this is all my patience could bearafter all it’s just a beetle!

Kërcim molë

Këtu është një tjetër video e mrekullueshme nga Warren! Unë mendoj se kjo është një Choreutidae për shkak të mënyrës se si mbahen krahët gjatë vallëzimit – edhe pse është shumë e shpejtë për të marrë vërtet një pamje të qartë. Duke qenë se është nga një faunë që nuk e njoh plotësisht, mund të gaboj lehtësisht – prandaj ju lutem me korrigjoni nese e dini me mire.

Nebe Turns Peshku dhe Wildlife në tru zombies

Fresh off shtyn, Blue Butterfly Miami (MBB) është now listed as federally endangered by act of an emergency provision. Huzzah! (e drejtë?)

% title

Miami Blue Butterfly nga Butterflies të Amerikës

Mendimi im i parë ishte “pres, wasn’t this already endangered?”. Po, rezulton MBB është shtet-e rrezikuar nga viti 2002 after a previous emergency petition filed by the North American Butterfly Association (Nebe). This measure seemed comprehensive enough since this butterfly occurs nowhere else in the USA. But that’s not an important detail and I don’t see any real harm in federally listing another butterfly. The Florida Keys sure need every ounce of help they can get when it comes to protecting the environment.

As an endangered species the Miami Blue (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri) is a northern range extension of a species that commonly occurs throughout the Caribbean. Whether or not the US immigrant is truly distinctive enough to warrant a subspecies of its own is not something I can really address since I’m not a butterfly guy in the least. I do greatly shy away from the entire idea of a subspecies, but hey, I guess these butterfly guys need something to do! It also seems logical to me that influxes of emigrating blues would naturally change in abundance over the southern coast of Florida. In the early 1950’s these insects used to be abundant up and down beaches nearly all over the state. The last 60 odd years have been cruel to Floridadevelopment and mosquito abatement has ravaged what used to be pristine habitat. All of the butterflies are suffering.

Then I realized there was something very odd about this announcement: the emergency provision is gjithashtu listing të gjithë similar blues that share habitat with the MBB as threatened and therefore protected! Why? Because they look like the MBB. These blues include the Cassius blue (Leptotes cassius), Ceraunus blue (Hemiargus ceraunus), and the Nickerbean blue (Cyclargus ammon). Let’s get one thing straightboth the Cassius and Ceraunus blues are not in any way në fakt threatened nor even rare. They can both beincredibly abundant species with a range that spans all of the Carribbean, the gulf coast west to California and inland strays to the midwest!

So I ask, how could this have passed?

% title

Gary Larson, The Far Side

Oh that’s rightfear mongering brought to you by the radically anti-collecting North America Butterfly Association. NABA perceives collecting as one of the gravest dangers to butterfly populations despite the incredible lack of evidence. Po, every collector out there is sporting an evil black cape and making it their life’s work to extinguish beauty from the world. Somehow this organization has managed to convince the USFWS they have a point. I can’t do this provision justice, so here is the exact quote.

In addition, the Service is issuing a 4(d) special rule on these species to establish prohibitions on collection and commercial trade within the United States. This action also prohibits the import into, and export from, the United States of the three similar butterflies. Otherwise lawful activities that may impact these similar butterflies—such as legal use of pesticides, mowing, and vehicle use—are not prohibited. Extending the prohibitions of collection, possession, and trade to the three similar butterflies will provide greater protection to the Miami blue.

 

I’m honestly speechless. Mirë, maybe I can manage a few more words.

Go ahead and mow down your patch of habitat and then spray herbicide on it. But you better not dare to collect a single bluethe USFWS is watching.

They also turn out to be rather paranoid. I sigurt, poaching does happen every once in a while no matter what species you protect. Whether it be for profit or food, a few odd animals will be picked off. But is there any real evidence to support this level of craziness? The majority of citations in the registrar are from cases, not peer-reviewed journals.

the Service has determined that designation of critical habitat for the Miami blue butterfly is not prudent because publishing maps and descriptions of critical habitat areas would widely announce the exact location of the butterfly to poachers, collectors, and vandals and may further facilitate disturbance and destruction of the butterfly’s habitat.

Oh I do love quotes: (source)

but also indicates that there is no evidence or information on current or past collection pressure on the Miami blue (FWC 2010, p. 13)… Although we do not have evidence of illegal collection of the Miami blue, we do have evidence of illegal collection of other butterflies from Federal lands in south Florida

The same Web site offers specimens of two other butterflies similar in appearance to the Miami blue; the ceraunus blue currently sells for €4.00 ($5.57), and the cassius blue is available for €2.50-10.00 ($3.48-$13.93).

Therefore, it is quite possible that collectors authorized to collect similar species may inadvertently (or purposefully) collect the Miami blue butterfly thinking it was, or planning to claim they thought it was, the cassius blue, nickerbean blue, or ceraunus blue

 

Don’t get me wrongadditional funding and protection for a rare species might be helpful as long as the habitat is safeguarded. It seems however that the vast majority of funds tend to go into captive breeding programs which doubtfully do much good. If the butterfly is vanishing from the islands then releasing clouds of them will only make for pretty photographs and not a saved species.

I will be submitting a solicited comment and I suggest you do the same. Comment here before October 11, 2011: Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments to Docket No. [FWS–R4–ES–2011–0043]. Or write to: U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No. [FWS–R4–ES–2011–0043]; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS 2042–PDM; Arlington, do 22203..

E hënë Moth

 

This week’s moth is a video of a dancing micro from the Philippines (taken by Warren Laurde). As you might suspect this is a mating display that ends in a pretty spectacular headstand. There are lots of other microleps that have dancing or display behavior, but there are almost no other videos online and few as high quality as this one. I am thinking this is a Cosmopterigidae, something approaching the genus Ressia. I am unable to find confirmed records of anything near this genus from SE Asia (and nothing in the Microlepidoptera of the Philippine Islands) – but doing a google search I did find another image of what might be this same moth!

% title

Cosmopterigidae - Melvyn Yeo

(source)

E hënë Moth

% title

Chiricahua multidentate (Geometridae)

Molë këtij hënës është një specie spektakolare nga malet e Arizona – Chiricahua multidentate, a Geometrid. Lokacioni i njohur vetëm për këtë specie është në krye të maleve Chiricahua mësipërme 9,000 këmbët (i cili u bruned vetëm për një freskët). Shpresojmë zjarri nuk ishte krejtësisht shkatërruese dhe popullsia do të tërhiqem në vitet që vijnë. Para 2009 ky molë ishte i njohur nga më pak se 10 mostrave, të gjitha kapur në lartësi pak më të ulët në qepë shalë në Chiricahuas. Në pranverën e vitit 2009 qasje në një të çojë kim rrugor në mbledhjen e dhjetra e mostrave në një natë të vetme. Të gjitha të dhënat e mëparshme kanë qenë strays rralla që kishin fluturuar deri në 8500′ – por akti i thjeshtë i makinës up një shtesë 1000′ 500"Vënë kolektorit në habitatin ideale dhe çuditërisht kjo molë ishte e zakonshme! Kjo duket të jetë e par për kursin me shumicën e insekteve, shumë pak janë në të vërtetë të rralla, ndërsa pjesa tjetër janë vetëm e vështirë për të kapur. Ose ata nuk vijnë për dritat, nuk ushqej në gjatësinë e krahut, ose jetojnë vetëm në vështirë për të habitateve qasje. Pasi ju të zbuloni biologjinë e tyre (ose të merrni me fat) ju zakonisht mund të gjeni kafshë në bollëk.

Ju mund të keni vënë re edhe postimin e rregullt nga e hëna Moth – Unë kam qenë në fushë për dy javët e fundit dhe kishte një pirg e posteve të planifikuara. Unë duhet të fillojë përzierjen gjërat deri më tani!