Smooth as Silk...

Along with my good friends Carolyn and Steve I was helping out with another organized moth event this weekend on behalf of the Carden Nature Festival in the Kirkfield area, a couple of hours drive northeast of Toronto. The weather was near-perfect with a slither of a moon, no rain and wonderfully warm throughout. We arrived on the Friday, caught a pile of moths, kept a few of the nice ones and then held the main event on the Saturday night. It's always good to have a few moths in hand to show the folks before things start to happen.

One of the moths we were pleased to be able to show off was the apple-green beauty above - the incomparable Actias luna, the Luna Moth. Rather amazingly I'd only seen this superb moth once before, at the very bottom of a moth trap at the end of its flight period and looking decidedly shabby! Therefore it was with no small degree of glee that I finally got to see a couple in better condition.


A different individual. Note the large feathery (bipectinate) antennae on this male. These super sensitive organs are used to detect the pheromones exuded by the female Luna Moth. The mercury vapor and blacklight bulbs that we use to attract moths mimic to some extent these pheromones and thus the male moths find the light very attractive, only to be sorely disappointed in the end!


Perhaps the biggest surprise of the weekend was the capture of a couple of this attractive Silky - Hyalophora columbia, the Columbia Silkmoth. I'd been wanting to see this one for many years but rarely had the opportunity to moth anywhere near tamarack trees, the larval foodplant of this lovely moth. It is similar to the much more widespread and familiar Cecropia Moth, but is significantly smaller, darker and lacks the reddish band on the wings beyond the white pm line that is prominent on the Cecropia - see below...


A dorsal view of this beautiful moth. In basic pattern it is very similar to a Cecropia Moth, but note the lack of the pinkish-red band near the trailing edge of the wings. The white wing spots also lack the reddish tinge present on the Cecropia. We were able to directly compare this moth with a Cecropia and found it to be about a third smaller.

This moth appears to be extremely local in Ontario, but it is perhaps overlooked due its short flight period, mostly in June. At this location I later learned that there was a nice swamp with many tamarack trees quite close to the house...


And here is a male Hyalophora cecropia, the Cecropia Moth. On this underside view you can clearly see the reddish band on the wings that separates this from the Columbia. Note also the bright red hair scales on the head and thorax and the pinkish-red shading within the whitish wing spots.


A dorsal view of the same Cecropia, again you can clearly see the pinkish-red band on the wings. Cecropia Moths are pretty common but it is the large green larvae that most folk find rather than the adult moth. The larvae feed on a wide variety of trees and shrubs and the adults fly mostly in June. Is a stunning moth.


The other big silky we saw over the weekend was this one, Antheraea polyphemus, the Polyphemus Moth. Compared to the two Hyalophora species above this large silky is rather drab-looking. In fact it looks a bit like a dead leaf and is remarkably well camouflaged when sitting on a tree. If you disturb one of the giants in the daytime they immediately drop to the ground like a dead leaf - a great mimic. If you do this though don't forget to pick it up and relocate in in a safe place...


Another view of the wonderful Polyphemus. I like this moth. It's not too flashy but it has those amazing eye-spots that are transparent in the middle. The larvae of this species feed on a wide variety of trees and shrubs and the cocoon can often be found in the depths of winter firmly attached to the food plant. The adults fly mostly in early summer. However, I've seen them as late as early August on Pelee Island suggesting a partial second brood.


Thought I'd finish up with a few sphinx moths. We recorded 11 species of sphinx over the course of the weekend, which is quite good. All were common species so there were no surprises. The moth above is the lovely Sphinx kalmiae, the Laurel Sphinx. Widespread within southern Ontario, I usually catch a few each year. Is a very sleek and elegant species with nice subtle colors. The larvae feed on a variety of trees, including ashes, fringe-tree, laurels and others whilst the adults are on the wing between late May and August.


Another sphingid in the genus Sphinx, this time Sphinx poecila, the Northern Apple Sphinx. Again, pretty sleek and tasteful. The moth is easily identified by the black top to the head and thorax. Also, note the relatively plain fore wing with the distinct white reniform spot. The hind wing shows that broad black subterminal band contrasting with the unmarked white fringe. The adults fly in the early summer whilst the larvae feed on a variety of trees and plants.


Always a favorite, the massive Pachysphinx modesta, or Big Poplar Sphinx is always a sight to behold. I've heard it described as a "large flying mouse", and this is indeed a pretty accurate description! the wings are nice shades of grayish-brown, paler basally and with a tasteful flash of crimson (not visible here) on the hind wing. Is common in Ontario, flying mostly in June and July. The larvae feed on poplars and willows.


Lastly, one of our smallest sphingids, Lapara bombycoides, the Northern Pine Sphinx. A trim, compact species with a subtle pattern of blackish lines on a slaty-gray background and no flashy colors. Another pretty common moth that flies in June and July in well-wooded regions. The larvae feed on pines and tamarack.

There were many other moth highlights this weekend and I'll post a few more photos later. Finally, I want to thank our wonderful hostess Dale though for fantastic support during this event. What a great place to live - I'll be back...