Prominently on display...

I've always liked the Prominents. Is hard to say why. It's probably because they are often beautifully marked with subtle colours and tasteful shades. Many are odd shapes (even odder in their larval stages) with tufted wings or strange appendages. Some even roll their wings up so they look like broken twigs when at rest - but we'll get to those at a later stage.

I've featured a few Prominents in the past - how could you forget the Pink Prominent from a few months ago!! So, I thought it about time to see some more. Would love to see a few comments posted - even silly ones...


The incomparable Elegant Prominent. I was truly amazed when I saw my first one, and I still like 'em now! It is fairly common in Southern Ontario where the adults are on the wing during mid-summer. The larval foodplants are poplars. What a slik-looking creature...


The lovely Georgian Prominent. I like this one because of the "blocky" pattern on the wings - very nice, and blends in well on the bark. Little wonder that these creatures are so hard to find during daylight hours. This one feeds on oaks.


The odd-looking Sigmoid Prominent. Out of all the clostera species I like this one the best - and it has the best name also. Really like that tufted abdomen! It is on the wing all summer and the caterpillars feed on poplars and willows.

Would ya like to see some more???

Jelly Kids...

When one enters the "world of pain" known as microlepidoptera one has to familiarize oneself with a bewildering array of obscure-looking families. One such family is the gelechiidae, or, as they say in UK the "jelly kids". I like the latter name better since all the moths concerned ARE rather small. This is a huge group of moths, many of which are similar-looking and difficult to identify with certainty. Most of them have rather narrow wings and upward-pointing labial palps.

I've only recently discovered the joys of this group and have decided to share a couple of images with you. I kind of hope they are correctly identified and if you spot any errors, well, that's what the comment section is all about...


This is Gnorimoschema semicylcionella. It doesn't have a common name and I don't know much about it - sorry! Nice-looking moff though. Photographed in Brooklin, Ontario last year.


This one is Aristotelia roseosuffusella. I photographed this one just this morning in my back yard. The larvae feed on clover whilst the adult is on the wing most of the summer.`


Finally we have Metzneria lappella. This one is fairly common, even in Toronto. The larval foodplant are the burs of Burdock and the adult is on the wing mid-summer.

Airplane Moffs...

This is what my son James calls these things. They are in fact Plume Moths in the family Pterophoridae. They are odd-looking creatures since they hold their narrow, and often notched, wings at 90 degrees to the abdomen, hence the "airplane" shape. They also have remarkably long legs. There are many species in Ontario the the two below are amongst the more common. Many are notoriously difficult to identify, but it's fun (and frustrating) to try!


This is Cnaemidophorus rhododactyla. I catch this one a lot in my back yard in Toronto. It is quite large and easy to identify. However, I cannot tell you anything about it's life history at the moment.


This one is Emmelina monodactlya. This is probably the most common plume moth in Ontario and can be seen as late as mid November in mild weather. The larvae feed on a variety of plants including common morning glory.

New feature - Strangest Moth of the Month...

A recent brief encounter with the odd creature below (whilst listening to Whip-poor-wills on a bird race) has prompted me to erect a new monthly feature - enjoy!


Meet Phyllodesma americana, aka. The Lappet Moth. I don't see this one too often but when I do it never fails to make me smile and wonder "why does it look like this?" It's a snouty little devil with crazy tufted and crinkled wings and a warm orange glow. The larvae feed on alder, birches, oaks, poplars, willow and members of the rose family. The adult is on the wing most of the summer.
It looks good enough to wear as a hat - if it were big enough that is!

Back yard mothing can be fun...

Every once in a while you take the lid off the trap and something special is waiting for you within. I recently caught the two moths featured below in such a fashion. Although neither are particularly uncommon I was most pleased to welcome them to the old yard list - which now speeds toward the magical 400 mark. No, I'm not sure just what is magical about 400 either - just sounds good!



Paonias myops or Small-eyed Sphinx. What a beauty! I've seen loads of these lovely moths but I'm always impressed by the brilliant swirl of tasteful colours on the forewing, what with those pumpkin highlights and all. The hindwing, which is mostly hidden, has a black and blue eye-spot on a yellow background. The larvae feed on birches, hawthorns, poplars, willows and Prunus species. The adults are on the wing mostly June to August in Ontario.


A bit drab and exceedingly hairy the Common Gluphisia, or Gluphisia septentrionis, is one of the more common and widespread members of the Prominent family in Ontario. There are about 50 species of Prominent in Ontario and over the years I've been lucky to see all but a couple of these wonderful moths. All are rather robust and quite hairy. Some are drab and cryptic whereas others are colourful and beautifully marked. The Common Gluphisia is on the wing most of the summer and the larvae feed on poplars.

When micros can be huge...

I was in Brooklin over the weekend enjoying the hospitality of friends who live there. The weather was perfect for swimming, drinking and mothing, though not strictly in that order. The mothing was quite good with 110 species observed, including some new micros for me. The macros were disappointingly few and far between which seems to be the way thus far this summer. Don't know why.

Anyway, here are some highlights:


Pseudothyatira cymatophoroides, Tufted Thyatirid - quite variable but this is the form I like the best.


Argyrostrotis anilis, Short-lined Chocolate - good enough to eat, though the scales do get caught between yer teeth....


Prionoxystus robinae, Carpenterworm Moth - looking for all the world like a scrap of net curtain gone astray! This is a super-micro the size of a large sphinx moth!!

The Olethreutes beauty contest...

The genus Olethreutes comprises a large number of varied and beautifully-marked tortricid moths. They are all rather large (for a tortrix) and robust-looking, often with fantastically complex patterns on the wings. Some of them remind me of wonderfully ornate tudor rugs...if that seems reasonable! Rich colours and swirling lines are the order of the day when one of these lovelies is netted...

As always, these moths were trapped, photographed and released unharmed.


Olethreutes bipartiana - Brooklin, Ontario - 28 May 2006


Olethreutes astrologana - Portage Lake, Ontario - 26 June 2004


Olethreutes lacunana - Portage Lake, Ontario - August 2003


Olethreutes concinnana - Toronto, Ontario - 18 July 2004


Olethreutes permundana - Toronto, Ontario - July 2003


Olethreutes exoletus - Wilson Tract, Ontario - 10 July 2005

Hope you like this small selection - I have lots more! Am taking votes for the nicest-looking...

A few micros from a lacklustre spring...

What with going to live in sunny Kent in UK for six months starting mid July things have been a bit hectic of late with little time for birding or mothing. I wish I had exciting stuff to show you all...but I don't. It can only get better once on British shores...

Has been a bit cool of late but I continue to catch a few micros every night. All the moths below are in the vast Tortricidae complex and all are in the almost as vast Olethreutinae family. I like this group. Many (which I'll get to later) are beautifully marked and quite robust in construction. The selection below are, by contrast, a bit on the drab side. Gotta take the rough with the smooth as they say...but who are they?


Proteoteras crescentana



Hedya ochroleucana



Gypsonoma haimbachiana



Cydia pomonella



Phaneta awemeana

The tale of the disappearing Cattail Borer...

Bellura obliqua, or the Cattail Borer Moth is a unique-looking species and one of my favorites. I don't encounter it too often but there again it is fairly specific about its requirements. The larvae feed on a variety of aquatic plants including American lotus, arrowheads, bur-reed, cattails, pickerelweed and skunk cabbage. According to Covell, the first-instar mines in the leaves of the chosen host whereas later instars bore into the crowns where the larvae overwinters and pupates the following spring. The adult is on the wing from May until August in Southern Ontario.




This Cattail Borer Moth was captured and photographed in Brooklin, Ontario just over a week ago. It is a fairly chunky noctuid with distinctive markings. Note especially the pale area along the costa and base of the fore wing. Note also the slanting orbicular and reniform spots. Unfortunately, the habitat this moth depends upon at this site is rapidly being converted into a housing estate. I see no hope for it here, what a shame.