I missed Putnam's Looper (Plusia putnami) from yesterdays post so I'm adding a photograph to today's post.  There were 8 moths of 8 species in the trap last night.  The 4 new species for the year were:
White-lined Quaker (Apamea niveivenosa)
Olive Arches (Lacinipolia olivacea)
Red-spot Polia (Lacinipolia davena)
Yellow-dusted-Cream (Cabera erythemaria)

Putnam's Looper (Plusia putnami)

Red-spot Polia (Lacinipolia davena)

White-lined Quaker (Apamea niveivenosa)

Yellow-dusted-Cream (Cabera erythemaria)

Last night was the best night so far with 15 moths of 11 species. 7 of them new for the year.  Also, after 4 years of trying I finally manged to get a photograph of  a Common Gluphisia (Gluphisia septentrionis) that wasn't moving its wings!  The new backyard species were:

American Idia (Idia americalis)
Wavy Chestnut Y (Autographa mappa)
Gray dagger (Acronicta grisea)
The Mottled Rustic (Caradrina morpheus)
Disparaged Arches (Orthodes detracta)
Euxoa tristicula (Euxoa tristicula)
Dark Metanema (Metanema determinata)

Wavy Chestnut Y (Autographa mappa)

 Wavy Chestnut Y (Autographa mappa)

Dark Metanema (Metanema determinata)

Common Gluphisia (Gluphisia septentrionis)

Euxoa tristicula (Euxoa tristicula)

 American Idia (Idia americalis)

Gray dagger (Acronicta grisea)

Gven the very heavy rain I didn't put the light trap out last night and didn't expect anything in the bait trap.  However, I did find a Yellow-Headed Cutworm (Apamea amputatrix) in the bait trap which is a new species for the year.  This photograph was taken in 2008.

9348 Yellow-Headed Cutworm (Apamea amputatrix)

Just 6 moths of 6 species in the traps last night.  However, one of these moths was a Bilobed Looper (Megalographa biloba).  This appears to be a very early sighting as the previous early record for this moth is August!  The last time I recorded this species, which was only the 3rd record for Alberta, was in October 2010.  Perhaps not scientifically significant but it does seem to add to the unusual nature of the year with regards to moth and butterfly sightings.  The other new species for the year were, The Scribe (Habrosyne scripta) and Bridled Arches (Lacinipolia lorea).  Extremely wet again today so not expecting many moths tonight.

8607 Bilobed Looper (Megalographa biloba)

8607 Bilobed Looper (Megalographa biloba)

6235 The Scribe, Lettered Habrosyne (Habrosyne scripta)

10405 Bridled Arches (Lacinipolia lorea)

This post is for last Friday.  There were 15 macros of 13 species in the trap on Friday morning.  8 were new backyard species for the year and 3 where new species.  I've identified one as Lobophora magnoliatoidata but nivigerata cannot be entirely ruled out.  Either way it's a new backyard species.  The light trap has not been out for the last two nights due to heavy rain.

Pale Metanema Moth (Metanema inatomaria)

Trichordestra tacoma

Apamea commoda

Lobophora magnoliatoidata

Ruddy Quaker (Protorthodes oviduca)

Rustic Shoulder-knot (Apamea sordens)

It was a better night for moths in Lethbridge last night.  I recorded 11 species, 5 of these were new for the year.  The new ones were:

9053 Pink-barred Lithacodia (Pseudeustrotia carneola)
8939 Hooked Silver Y (Syngrapha alias)
8912 Wavy Chestnut Y (Autographa mappa)
9660 Civil Rustic (Platyperigea montana)
8322 American Idia (Idia americalis)

The others were Abstrusa Looper (Syngrapha abstrusa), Mottled Rustic (Caradrina morpheus), Rustic Shoulder-knot (Apamea sordens) and a dart that I haven't identified yet.  I've called the moths below Syngrapha alias and Syngrapha abstrusa based largely on whether the stigma and satellite spots are joined or separated. I understand that the genitalia must be examined to positively separate these species.

Abstrusa Looper (Syngrapha abstrusa)

Hooked Silver Y (Syngrapha alias)

Wavy Chestnut Y (Autographa mappa)

9053 Pink-barred Lithacodia (Pseudeustrotia carneola)

I'm in Lethbridge for a few days.  In spite of the heavy rain yesterday there were 4 moths of 3 species in the trap last night.  They were Abstrusa Looper (Syngrapha abstrusa), Mottled Rustic (Caradrina morpheus) and Rustic Shoulder-knot (Apamea sordens).  I'll include some photographs of these moths in another post.  Meanwhile, here are a few more pictures from the weekend that were taken in the Twin Butte area.



7941 Modest Furcula Moth (Furcula modesta)

10372 Snaky Arches Moth (Lacinipolia anguina)

7803 Snowberry Sphinx (Sphinx Vashti)

10289 Goodell's Arches Moth (Orthodes goodelli)

Just 3 species in the trap last night.  Nothing new for the year but there was a another Gallium Sphinx Moth (Hyles gallii) so it seems to be a good year for them.  I spent the weekend in the Twin Butte area of southern Alberta so I'll post a few photographs of the species I found there.  The Subdued Arches (Lacanobia subjuncta) was a new species for me.  Another common name for the latter is Speckled Cutworm moth.

The Subdued Arches (Lacanobia subjuncta)

Brother Moth (Raphia frater)

Disparaged Arches  (Orthodes detracta)

Last night was the best night so far the number of species.  There were 10 species of 12 moths.  New species for the year were Hop-vine Snout Moth (Hypena humuli), Canary Thorn (Neoterpes trianguliferata) and Common Hyppa (Hyppa contrasta).

Canary Thorn (Neoterpes trianguliferata)

Common Hyppa (Hyppa contrasta)

In spite of some good weather last night there was nothing in my light trap at all!  There was one moth in my bait trap, another Armyworm (Mythimna unipuncta).  Another common name for this moth is White-Speck.

3 macros in the trap last. 1 Euxoa auxiliaris, 1 Armyworm (Mythimna unipuncta) but the star of the show was definitely a Gallium Sphinx Moth (Hyles gallii).  This is the most common Sphinx across Alberta but it's the first time I've seen one and an excellent backyard moth!

Gallium Sphinx Moth (Hyles gallii)

Gallium Sphinx Moth (Hyles gallii)

One new species for my garden list last night, a Grey Pug Moth (Eupithecia subfuscata).  There were two new species for the year, an Intermediate Falconer (Cucullia intermedia) and a Miranda moth (Proxenus miranda).  Also a few unidentified euxoa sp. and at least 2 Euxoa auxiliaris.

 Intermediate Falconer (Cucullia intermedia)

7487 Grey Pug Moth (Eupithecia subfuscata)

Miranda moth (Proxenus miranda)

2 moths in the trap last night both new for the year, 1 Lappet Moth (Phyllodesma Americana) and 1 Rosy Dart  (Diarsia rosaria).  I'm adding a few butterfly pictures that I took while walking around Glenmore reservoir this morning.


Lappet Moth (Phyllodesma Americana)

Rosy Dart (Diarsia rosaria)



Artic Skipper (Carterocephalus palaemon)



Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio canadensis)






Western Tailed-Blue (Everes amyntula)

Western Tailed-Blue (Everes amyntula) female

So far this year I have record 26 species of macro moth in my backyard.  For the same period last year I had only recorded 8 species.  Presumably the mild winter in Alberta has had an impact. To reinforce this point, last nights 2 macros are almost a month earlier than my previous records for these species.  I'm hoping that this bodes well for the rest of year.  The 2 macros in my trap last night, in spite of the the stormy weather, where Morrison's Pero (Pero morrisonaria) and Brown-streaked Rustic (Hypocoena rufostrigata). 


Brown-streaked Rustic (Hypocoena rufostrigata)

Morrison's Pero (Pero morrisonaria)







Nothing new to report for the last two days.  Just one moth in the trap this morning, a Common Gluphisia (Gluphisia septentrionis).  Two moths in the trap the previous night, 1 Vancouver dart (Agrotis vancouverensis) and a tentative Willow Kitten (Furcula occidentalis).

Just a quick note about yesterdays post.  Gary identified the moth I thought might be Apamea Devastator as Papestra cristifera.  This is a new moth for me and perfectly matches the pictures of this moth on MPG.  So thanks again to Gary.

Last night was fairly good with 6 species, 1 of them a new backyard moth.  They included 2 Common Gluphisia (Gluphisia septentrionis), 1 Willow Kitten (Furcula occidentalis) which could be Poplar Kitten (furcula scolopendrina) but I'm tentativley saying Willow kitten because of  the seasonal distribution of the two, 1 Common Gluphisia (Gluphisia septentrionis), 1 American Angle Shades (Euplexia benesimilis) and 2 Apical Prominent (Clostera apicalis).  The new one is Large Ruby Tiger Moth (Phragmatobia assimilans).  There was 1 Hydriomena sp that looks like the macdunnoughi image on CBIF so I'm very tentatively calling it macdunnoughi .

Large Ruby Tiger Moth (Phragmatobia assimilans)

Large Ruby Tiger Moth (Phragmatobia assimilans)

Hydriomena macdunnoughi?

Common Gluphisia (Gluphisia septentrionis)

American Angle Shades (Euplexia benesimilis)

American Angle Shades (Euplexia benesimilis)