Montag Moth

Chiricahua multidentata (Geometrien)

This Monday’s moth is a spectacular species from the mountains of ArizonaChiricahua multidentata, a Geometrid. The only known location for this species is at the very top of the Chiricahua mountains above 9,000 Füße (which was just bruned to a crisp). Hopefully the fire was not . . . → Weiterlesen: Montag Moth

Montag Moth

I’ll keep the ball rolling with Arctiinae and post a photo today of Ctenucha brunnea. This moth can be common in tall grasses along beaches from San Francisco to LAalthough in recent decades the numbers of this moth have been declining with habitat destruction and the invasion of beach grass (Ammophila arenaria). Aber . . . → Weiterlesen: Montag Moth

Curators Astounded!

Well as you may have guessed the subject isn’t as shocking as my title suggests, but I couldn’t help but to spin from the Guardian article. I really find it hilarious when I come across anything that says scientists areastounded”, “baffled”, “shocked”, “puzzled”, – I guess that’s a topic for another timeNevertheless a . . . → Weiterlesen: Curators Astounded!

Montag Moth

Today’s moth is a beautiful and rare species from SE Arizona and Mexico: Lerina incarnata (Erebidae: Arctiinae). Like many other day flying species it is brilliantly colored and quite likely aposematic. After all, the host plant is a milkweed and the caterpillar is just as stunning (unten).

Lerina incarnata (Erebidae: Arctiinae)

 

Dies . . . → Weiterlesen: Montag Moth

Montag Moth

Ich werde den Ball mit dieser Serie am Laufen halten und versuchen, sie regelmäßiger zu machen. Ich werde mich auch darauf konzentrieren, jede Woche eine neue Art aus den riesigen Sammlungen hier an der California Academy of Sciences hervorzuheben. Das sollte mir genug Material dafür geben… mindestens ein paar hundert Jahre.

Gramm . . . → Weiterlesen: Montag Moth

Arizona-Nachfolge

Map/% updated June 20, 6pm.

Updates to the maps and containment percentages have been made to my earlier post. Here is a map of the 4th fire burning in SE Arizona, the Monument fire. This one is only 10% 17% 15% 27% contained and is burning in the southern end of the Huachuca Mountains . . . → Weiterlesen: Arizona-Nachfolge

Montag Moth

Whoops, it’s almost Tuesday! Above is Schinia ligeae (Noctuidae) resting on its host plant Xylorhiza tortifolia, the Mojave Aster. I photographed this about three weeks ago outside the town of Big Pine, California. The asters were thick in the valleys below the snow capped Sierra, and the moths were abundant. . . . → Weiterlesen: Montag Moth

Die Mission blauer Schmetterling

 

Männlich – Marin Headlands

Wie so viele andere städtische Tiere, die Mission blauer Schmetterling (Plebejischen icarioides missionensis) ist eine, die ernsthaft gefährdet ist,. Diese kleinen blauen Leben in winzige Fragmente von Lebensraum neben mehreren Millionen Dollar Entwicklung in und um San Francisco Bay. A century ago this butterfly . . . → Weiterlesen: Die Mission blauer Schmetterling

Sonntag Moth

 

Everyone is familiar with the famous death’s head hawkmoth, but I think it’s a shame we have popularized such a grim character. Above is a much more cheery Neotropical Arctiinae from French Guiana that looks like it’s sporting a clown face. Sadly this isn’t my photograph, aber . . . → Weiterlesen: Sonntag Moth

Die kleinste aller Motten

Die Familie Nepticulidae beherbergt einige der kleinsten bekannten Falter, im Bereich von 3–8 mm Flügelspitze zu Flügelspitze. Zum Vergleich habe ich oben zwei Motten abgebildet: der größte bekannte – Coscinocera hercules that tips the scales at nearly 9 Zoll, und einer der kleinsten (yes that tiny little speck . . . → Weiterlesen: Die kleinste aller Motten