Lunedi Moth

Back to the Monday Moth! This beautiful insect is Stiria dyari (Noctuidae) collected on a February trip outside of Cataviña, Baja California Mexico. I believe the host plants are still unknown, but all of the moths in the genus Stiria have these brilliant yellow forewings that help camouflage them on the stem . . . → Per saperne di più: Lunedi Moth

Lunedi Moth

Maroga setiotricha (Xyloryctidae)

 

Un altro enorme australiano “microlep”, (probabilmente) Maroga setiotricha: Xylorictidae – misura in a 60 millimetri. Con le ali come questo devono fare volantini formidabili. According to the Xyloryctinae Moths of Australia blog the larvae are stem borers into Acacia sp. (Mimosaceae). Questo esemplare è stato raccolto nel novembre del 1962 by Ed . . . → Per saperne di più: Lunedi Moth

Lunedi Moth

Gnophaela vermiculata pair

 

This Monday moth is an Arctiinae, Gnophaela vermiculata. These beautiful day flying moths were abundant on yellow Helianthus flowers around 9000in the Santa Fe National Forest, New Mexico. Caterpillars feed on bluebells, but the adults prefer the highest quality nectar source in the areawhich fortunately makes . . . → Per saperne di più: Lunedi Moth

Lunedi Moth

Trosia nigrorufa (Megalopygidae)

 

This Monday moth is a stunning female of the Neotropical MegalopygidaeTrosia nigrorufa. Ed Ross and Ev Schlinger collected this specimen in Peru in 1955, and I’ve heard many stories about these epic expeditions. I can’t really imagine travelling via cargo ship, being gone for six or more . . . → Per saperne di più: Lunedi Moth

Lunedi Moth

Oops, I skipped last monday’s moth, so here are two! These are some stunners from the CAS Philippines expedition and I think I have figured out their names. If you know better, please correct me.

 

Parasa darma (Limacodidae)

 

Parotis marginata (Crambidae)

 

. . . → Per saperne di più: Lunedi Moth

Lunedi 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). Ma . . . → Per saperne di più: Lunedi Moth

Lunedi 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 (sotto).

Lerina incarnata (Erebidae: Arctiinae)

 

This . . . → Per saperne di più: Lunedi Moth

Lunedi Moth

I’m going to keep the ball rolling with this series and try to make it more regular. I will also focus on highlighting a new species each week from the massive collections here at the California Academy of Sciences. This should give me enough material forat least a few hundred years.

Grammia . . . → Per saperne di più: Lunedi Moth