The numbers remain low with 5 moths of 4 species last night.  I photographed another Pearly Underwing (Peridroma saucia) as this has a slightly different colouring to the previous specimens I've had in the bait trap.  I also took some new Dot-and-Dash Swordgrass (Xylena curvimacula) photographs.  I'm staying in the Waterton area for the next few days.  It will be interesting to see if the moth numbers are much different to my backyard.



Dot-and-Dash Swordgrass (Xylena curvimacula)

Dot-and-Dash Swordgrass (Xylena curvimacula)

Pearly Underwing (Peridroma saucia)

There were just 7 moths of 5 species yesterday and nothing new for the year.  Due to rain I didn't put the light trap out last night but was quite surprised to find 9 moths of 4 species in the bait trap this morning which included:

4x White Specs (Mythimna unipuncta)
1x Garden Cutworm (Fishia discors)
2x Bicolored Sallows (Sunira bicolorago)
1x Dot-and-Dash Swordgrass (Xylena curvimacula)

There have been no new species for the last 2 days.  In fact, of the 22 macro and micro moths in the traps 10 were Garden Cutworm Moths (Fishia discors) and in spite of another warm night there were only 2 macro moths in the traps last night.  Hoping for more tonight.  As there are no new backyard moth photographs I thought I'd add a moth photograph that I took in Ecuador last year using a flash. I wish I'd had more time for moth photography.  There were certainly some fantastic moths around the lights in the evening...

Automeris zugana (Saturniidae) - Taken in Ecuador 2011

There were  just 7 moths of 6 species in the traps on Friday and nothing new for the year.  However, last night was the best night for some time with 16 moths of 10 species and 3 new backyard species for the year.  The new species were Battered Sallow (Sunira verberata), Pallid Rustic (Hydraecia pallescens) and Juniper Carpet (Thera juniperata).

This brings my 2012 total for backyard macro moths to 197 and my all time total to 250.  I've already seen or identified 54 more species than in 2011...  Perhaps 200 macro moths for this year is now looking like a possibility?  Certainly this has been an excellent year for a backyard moth'er...

Pallid Rustic (Hydraecia pallescens)

Battered Sallow Moth (Sunira verberata)

The moth numbers have continued to be low with 9 moths of 7 species on the 18th, 11 of 6 on the 19th and 9 of 6 last night. There were no new moths with one notable exception. Yesterday, there was a new Lymantriidae, Douglas Fir Tussock Moth (Orgyia pseudotsugata) on the wall behind the light trap. This appears to be the first record of a Douglas Fir Tussock Moth for Alberta.  Apparently, this is not an entirely unexpected record as it was thought that it might occur in the western mountain region of Alberta in association with its host, Douglas-fir, especially during outbreak years.  So far this is just a one off record but I will deploying my backyard light traps with interest over the next few weeks.

Douglas Fir Tussock Moth (Orgyia pseudotsugata)

There were 12 moths of 8 species last night which included a new macro moth for the backyard, a Pearly Underwing moth (Peridroma saucia).  This moth is also known as Variegated Cutworm Moth.  I think the Plume is Geranium Plume Moth (Amblyptilia pica).

Pearly Underwing (Peridroma saucia)

Geranium Plume Moth (Amblyptilia pica)

The moth numbers remain low, although, there was a slight increase yesterday with 15 moths 8 species including a Semirelict Underwing moth in the bait trap. There were 12 moths of 9 species in the traps today. This included 4 micro moths. I'm still seeing a number of White-Specks (Mythimna unipuncta), Mouse Moths (Amphipyra tragopoginis), Garden Cutworms (fishia discors) and Maple Spanworms (Ennomos magnaria).  In addition to this I just found an Olive Green Cutworm (Dargida procincta) outside my back door.  The photograph below was taken last year.

Olive Green Cutworm (Dargida procincta)

A slightly better night with 10 moths of 7 species but nothing new for the year.  4 of these were Garden Cutworms (Fishia discors) which appears to be my most common moth at this time of the year.  I went to Glenmore reservoir today in search of Dragonflies.  I believe this is a female Black Meadowhawk (Sympetrum danae).

Black Meadowhawk (Sympetrum danae)

It was a little warmer last night but there were just 5 macro moths of 5 species in the traps and no micro moths. There were no new species for the year.  There was one fresh looking Alfalfa Looper (Autographa californica). Autographa pseudogamma is quite similar to A. californica but a black dash that connects the subterminal and postmedian lines will separate these species.  I've highlighted the dash in the picture below.

Due to very cool overnight temperatures there was only one moth in the trap yesterday and I didn't put the light trap out last night.  In fact, the low temperature for both nights has been just above 1C.  The Large Grey Pinion (Lithophane georgii) picture was taken on the 10th.  I am still hoping to get to 200 identified backyard macro moths this year as I have several moths to ID and should get a few new species for the year between now and late October. 

Large Grey Pinion (Lithophane georgii)

The number of moths for the last two nights have continued to be low.  There were 16 moths of 11 species on the 9th and 9 moths of 7 species last night.  In fact, after some rough weather in the afternoon and evening, I was in two minds as to whether to put the trap out last night .  However, I'm glad I did as there was a new backyard species in the light trap this morning.  I'm putting it down as Rugged Rover (Platypolia anceps).  It appears be quite similar to Platypolia contadina but I think the fairly wide bipectinate antennae make it anceps.  Having said that I have asked for a second opinion.

Rugged Rover (Platypolia anceps)

A warmer night produced 23 moths 16 species. There were no new species for the year but I did photograph a very fresh looking False Pinion (Litholomia napaea). Litholomia napaea is another hibernator which is normally one of the first moths that I see in spring and one of the last that I see in autumn. My earliest record of a False Pinion is the 8th of April while my latest is the 17th October.



False Pinion (Litholomia napaea)

The continuing trend of cool overnight temperatures resulted in only 11 moths of 7 species in the light trap last night with no new species for the year.  I am still getting some Underwing species.

Semirelict Underwing Moth (Catocala semirelicta)

Semirelict Underwing Moth (Catocala semirelicta)

The moths numbers have been very low for the last two nights.  There were 12 moths of 5 species on the 5th, although, I did a find what may be Dark-winged Quaker Moth (Eremobina claudens) on the house siding in the afternoon.  This would be a new backyard species.  I've asked for an ID confirmation.  I've included pictures of 2 Large Yellow UnderWings (Noctua pronuba) that show a typical colour variation.  This moth has been more common in my backyard this year.  Unfortunately, I believed the weather forecast last night so did not put my light trap out.  In the end I don't think it rained at all.  There were 2 moths in the bait last night, a Briseis Underwing and a Fishia discors.

Dark-winged Quaker Moth (Eremobina claudens) ??

Large Yellow UnderWing (Noctua pronuba)

Large Yellow UnderWing (Noctua pronuba)

This post is for the last two nights.  The numbers remain low with 9 moths of 6 species on the 3rd and 10 moths of  8 species last night.  There were 2 new moths for the year last night, Maple Spanworm (Ennomos magnaria) and Bicolored Sallow Moth (Sunira bicolorago).  Sunira bicolorago can be very similar to Sunira verberata but I'm calling this moth bicolorago because of the paler, more yellow colouration and smaller size.  The 1 new moth for the year on the 3rd was Pink-barred Sallow (Xanthia tatago).

Maple Spanworm (Ennomos magnaria)

Bicolored Sallow Moth (Sunira bicolorago)

Pink-barred Sallow (Xanthia tatago)

Strong winds and cool temperatures resulted in only 7 moths of 4 species with no new backyard species for the year and no Underwings.  The photograph below was taken in Waterton, although, I did get a Satyr Comma in my backyard bait trap this year. 

Satyr Comma

Another cool night produced only 12 moths of 12 species.  There was one new backyard species for the year, a Cow Parsnip Borer Moth (Papaipema harrisii).  I had seen this species in Waterton during August so this continues the trend of my seeing some moths in the Waterton area, which is a 3 hour drive south of Calgary, a few weeks before I get them in my Calgary backyard.