Lepidoptera, Spring-Summer 2015 -- Part 3: Moths

Bicolored Angle Moth (Macaria bicolorata), Jena, La Salle Parish

   This entry will be a bit shorter than the previous two in this Lepidoptera series, as I haven't had as much good luck with moths as I have with butterflies. However, there have been some fun finds, and plenty of familiarizing myself with a number of common species. That said, there's still miles to go, as moths can be a very tricky lot to i.d. and there are A LOT of species out there to encounter. Rather than going in taxonomic order, as I did with the butterflies, I'll discuss the moths in roughly the order in which I saw them.

Little Underwing (Catocala minuta), Catahoula NWR Headquarters Unit, La Salle Parish, Louisiana

   My first moth photo of this year was of a Little Underwing (Catocala minuta). Thanks to Rosemary Seidler for helping me with the i.d. This moth was seen along Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge Road (aka the "refuge loop") on the Headquarters Unit of Catahoula NWR. The location is basically just on the La Salle side of the La Salle - Catahoula Parish line. The habitat is a grassy/weedy roadside (elevated road) between bottomland hardwood forest, agricultural field, and swampy thicket. I was birding with Tom Pollock on May 2nd when the Little Underwing happened to catch my eye, fluttering in the roadside weeds. The color on the upper-surface of forewings is a camouflage gray, black, brown, and white pattern that is something like tree bark in appearance. The undersurface of all four wings and upper-surface of hind wings are orange with black bands.

Little Underwing moth, Catahoula NWR HQ Unit, La Salle Parish 

Skiff Moth (Prolimacodes badia), Catahoula NWR Bushley Bayou Unit, Catahoula Parish, Louisiana

  It was late afternoon 6/26/15, while herping with Tom, that I encountered this Skiff Moth (Prolimacodes badia). It was just south of Hwy 8 at the north end of Minnow Ponds Road at the entrance to the Bushley Bayou Unit of Catahoula NWR. This is near the Manifest community in Catahoula Parish. The habitat is a mix of pines and hardwoods at the base of the uplands where they transition into to floodplain that the refuge lays on. There are large areas of marshy ponds and weedy and brushy areas nearby including second growth hardwoods.

Skiff Moth, Catahoula NWR Bushley Bayou Unit, Catahoula Parish

This compact little moth has an attractive, bold pattern of rich red-brown on the side of the closed wing, bordered above by white that transitions into light brown. I didn't realize it at the time, but upon reviewing the photos I noticed that this individual appears to be encumbered my a strand of spider web. Hopefully it escaped its tether unharmed!

Skiff Moth, Catahoula NWR Bushley Bayou Unit, Catahoula Parish

Large Maple Spanworm Moth (Prochoerodes lineola), Jena, La Salle Parish

Large Maple Spanworm Moth

  I found this Large Maple Spanworm Moth (Prochoerodes lineola) in July in Jena on private land adjacent to mixed pine-hardwoods which do contain some maples. This moth was in a tangle of Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans) and roses on a section of fence during the afternoon . The camouflage is rather convincing, looking like the glossy side of a dead leaf.

Large Maple Spanworm Moth, Jena, La Salle Parish

Black-spotted Hemeroplanis Moth (Hemeroplanis habitalis), La Salle Parish

   This Black-dotted Hemeroplanis Moth (Hemeroplanis habitalis) was found in an area of oaks, pines, hickory, and gums near residences in Jena at the beginning of August. This was during the afternoon.  The black figure-8 like mark on each forewing really stands out against the subtly-patterned light brown coloration.


Black-spotted Hemeroplanis Moth (Hemeroplanis habitalis), La Salle Parish

Pyralid moth species, Kisatchie NF, Grant Parish

Pyralid moth species, Kisatchie NF, Grant Parish

   On 8/16 I encountered at least three of these Pyralid moths (moths of the Pyralidae family) while walking in the Kisatchie National Forest near Bentley in Grant Parish (pine forest and open weedy/grassy areas). Its been difficult to assign an exact species, but they are apparently common. Many times it is simply too difficult to correctly assign a species with certainty from a few mediocre photographs, something that a beginning 'moth-er' such as myself quickly learns.




Pyralid moth species, Kisatchie National Forest, Grant Parish. Louisiana

Drab Brown Wave (Lobocleta ossularia), Jena, La Salle Parish

   This Drab Brown Wave (Lobocleta ossularia) is admittedly not exactly drab brown, but the coloration varies somewhat within this species. This moth was in a small area of hardwoods and a few pines at Jena, La Salle Parish. The sighting was on the afternoon of August 20. Tom Pollock found a very similar-looking moth in Grant Parish around the same date.

Drab Brown Wave (Lobocleta ossularia), Jena, La Salle Parish

Bicolored Angle Moth (Macaria bicolorata), Jena, La Salle Parish 

   The Bicolored Angle Moth (Macaria bicolorata) that I encountered was at the edge of a small patch of hardwoods and pines at Jena in La Salle Parish on 8/20. I think the contrasting shades of pale and light brown and subtle patterns make for a really quite attractive moth. Note the rusty-colored streaks coming down from the leading edge of the forewing and the contrasting darker, warmer brown on the trailing section of the wings.

Bicolored Angle Moth (Macaria bicolorata), Jena, La Salle Parish 

Acrolophus moth species, Jena, La Salle Parish

   This Acrolophus species was found at Jena in August. My best guesses as to which species are either Texas Grass Tubeworm Moth (Acrolophus texanella) or Grass Tubeworm Moth (A. popeanella), though those are really only guesses and the exact species might not be able to be determined. Word is that this genus is about to undergo some taxonomic revision, so I'll update this information if/when changes occur.

Acrolophus moth species, Jena, La Salle Parish

Cross-lined Waved moth (Timandra amaturaria), Catahoula NWR Willow Lake Unit, La Salle Parish

Cross-lined Waved, Catahoula NWR Willow Lake Unit
, La Salle Parish

   I encountered Cross-lined Waved (Timandra amaturaria) throughout August and beyond on Catahoula NWR, mostly on Willow Lake Unit. These little moths were common in roadside grass and bushes on my morning birding trips to the refuge. The general habitat is alluvial plain -- sometimes the road is through hardwoods or adjacent to a small cypress swamp, sometimes trough open grassy/weedy areas or thickets or beside bodies of water. The moths were often initially spotted from vehicle, but more individuals could usually be discovered if I stopped and did a short search on foot.


Cross-lined Waved (Timandra amaturaria), Catahoula NWR Willow Lake Unit, La Salle Parish

   I left off a few moths from this post that were simply too difficult for me to come close to a correct i.d. and had particularly poor quality photos to go along with them. Of course, should I get to know the correct i.d., I'll edit this post to include them.
   This is the final of the series of Lepidoptera posts summing up spring-summer 2015.

Pyralid moth species, Kisatchie National Forest, Grant Parish. Louisiana