Five "New" Moths Include a Winter Flyer

Maybe the most interesting thing I learned this spring with my hobby of photographing moths by porch light is that one of the five new moths I photographed flies from September to May, including taking breaks from hibernation by flying in the winter.

The moth at my light is the three-spotted sallow.  The sallow moths include many of our winter-flying moths.  Jim McCormac describes his encounter with them in his car lights this past winter on his blog (http://jimmccormac.blogspot.com/2014/03/winter-moths.html).

I get the moth photographs identified at www.butterfliesandmoths.org and then read a bit about them in the comprehensive "A Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America".

Since I started this moth photography last year, I've added 24 moths to the listings for Knox County, Ohio, on the "butterflies and moths" website.  I'm off to a head start this year, having added 5 of those moths since around April 20.    If and when I get the time and find the photographs, I'll create a slideshow on my website (www.donaldcomis.blogspot.com) of each of the moths I add.  For now here are my five latest finds, with a little information on each:

The three-spotted sallow (Eupsilia tristigmata) moth ends his flying days this month, being one of the many sallow moths that fly at times in the winter.  (Photo by Don Comis)

The only plants in my yard the caterpillar of the sharp-angled carpet (Euphyia intermediate) moth has an appetite for is impatiens.  (Photo by Don Comis)

Caterpillars of the Canadian melanolophia (Melanolophia canadaria ) moth would like to nibble at my oak and maple leaves.  (Photo by Don Comis)

While the distinct Quaker (Achatia distincta) moth's caterpillar might munch a bit on my flowering crabapple tree, the adult moth may help cross pollinate it with my apple trees.  (Photo by Don Comis)

Caterpillars of the red-banded leafroller moth (Argyrotaenia velutinana) because they are the most serious pests of apple trees--but, again, the flying moths may cross-pollinate my apple trees!  (Photo by Don Comis)