A rearing saga here... Out of 6 collected, 2 pupated and one successfully eclosed. The Group Observation Field contains multiple individuals from multiple sites.
Habitat for all is from stem galls in Humulus lupulus vines in alder swamps along shrubby and wooded stream corridors. Initially collected two individuals on 6/10. They were very picky about accepting an alternative food source. One of these died. I replaced with two others collected from stem galls on 7/4, both of which died (one had several wasp larvae emerge and pupate on 7/28). Then I replaced with one from a stem gall collected on 7/15 but that one turned black and died before pupating as well. On 8/3 I collected a final individual still in the gall (all other galls found empty at this date). On 7/24 one the remaining initial larva pupated. On 8/11 the late 8/3 larva pupated. On 8/21 the initial larva eclosed. Late at night on 9/5 the late larva began to eclose but did not successfully emerge from the pupa, coming part-way out but never fully emerging or forming (still clearly identifiable as a circumlucens adult). All observations after the initial wild observation of an individual marked captive/casual and can be found in the Observation Group field.
This was the definitely the most trouble I've had rearing any Papaipema species. Larvae were generally uninterested in potato or carrot, and even when leaving them in the original host stem they did not seem to feed.
Collected and reared from Angelica atropurpurea stems in wet prairie. Collected three individuals on 6/12 from roots and stems. Also present in root one one plant was a Eupsilia sp. (which escaped during attempted rearing). Reared in replenished Angelica stems. One did not survive. First pupated in stem on Pupated around 7/16, the second pupated out of stem on 7/26. One individual eclosed night of 8/13, the other on night of 8/21. Both subsequently released. All observations after the initial wild observation marked captive/casual and can be found in the Observation Group field.
At porch lights after dark. ID uncertain from A. virguncula.
Easily 1000+ on the sheet.
On persimmon leaves.
Observations of the same colony (grid view)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?order_by=observed_on&place_id=51&q=RHCM_2023_HB_1&search_on=tags&subview=grid
At sugar bait after dark in mesic-wet prairie restoration amid patch of Helianthus giganteus. Crest, smaller size, and white speckling suggest maritima over beeriana/silphii/necopina... Habitat and phenology also support this species.
Ovipositing on dead grass stems in mesic-wet prairie restoration. This species abundant on vegetation early in night, very sparse at nearby light or bait.
Floating masses of roots and leaves in a deep acidic lake. Translucent leaves and segmented roots distinguish it from a quillwort.
Area collected from new to their range in NJ. 2 caterpillars emerged from a total of 6 collected pitchers with feeding marks once the pitchers had dried, and were then moved to captive bred S. purpurea purpurea to complete metamorphosis.
Pre-pupae/pupae, I can't tell through the webbing.
At blacklight after dark in pine-oak barrens/sand prairie complex. ID uncertain, seems to fit better than E. conditana
At blacklight after dark in pine-oak barrens/sand prairie complex. ID uncertain, but seems to fit better than conditana...
Specimen collected by Steve Johnson
No count taken but will update with a count later today.
Tunnel #1
Dipnetted; released unharmed after photos.
Some kind of caterpillar that was in a fern ball of a curled up frond. Just one caterpillar from what I could tell. Decent amount of silk. It was greenish with like a yellowish head or end. Could not tell. Probably about half a inch long.
Apterous Female
Constructed silk tunnels coated in sand found on defoliated sand cherry (Prunus pumila) on shoreline dune.
Scholtens, B. 1996. Moths of the Douglas Lake Region (Emmet and Cheboygan
Counties), Michigan: V Counties), Michigan: V. Crambidae and Pyralidae (Lepidoptera). The Great Lakes Entomologist 29(3): 141-160.
Prionapteryx nebulifera Steph.-Cheboygan, Emmet: 4-25 July. This distinctive looking species flies in sandy areas including inland jack pine plains
and on the lakeshore dunes. Balogh has reared this species from sand cherry
(Prunus pumila), on which it forms sand tubes leading from the substrate to
the leaves of the plant. Daecke (1905) described this species making sand
tubes on huckleberry and sand myrtle in New Jersey. Larvae retreat into the
tube when not feeding. This, and related species used to be placed in the subfamily Ancylolomiinae, but are now referred to the Crambinae (Landry 1995).
One in LepiLED trap.
Vouchered for @hughmcguinness.
Two at UV light, this one with Nedra ramosula.
These two species are the only Actinotiini found in eastern North America.
Pupa suspended by spun threads within leaf fold
Current thinking, along with fellow birder Howard Horne on his photos, is that this is a hybrid between P. amoena and P. cyanea. First photo has white wing bar typical of Lazuli. However, the other side of this bird in photos two and three has no wing bar present like that of Indigo. Comments on this would be greatly appreciated.
On Aralia nudicaulis; reared adult: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/189805160
further ID help appreciated
Nest among woodchips on school playground. I (and other staff members) originally thought the nest was doomed but action and belief in the nest by students convinced me to put more effort into cordoning off an area for the nest, and despite many many recesses the nest eventually fledged 4 chicks! See group observation field.
I haven’t been able to find anything that matches the abdominal pattern
échantillon 7496
At sugar bait after dark in rocky pine-oak forest. Mostly cloudy with front coming in, 58-50F. 3 individuals total. Not all individuals photographed.
One at LepiLED light.
One at LepiLED light.
Tentative ID.
See related discussion thread here:
Bruce County, ON
Larva feed on Arctostaphylos.
Bearberry (the only species in this genus in ON) has beed recorded in a nearby area where we found this moth.
Thanks to Dave Beadle for this ID suggestion.
It's not on the ON list, but there are a number of records of this species on MPG in Michigan.
mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=3328
Pairs mating in every bush today, love is in the air!
échantillon 7415
on witch hazel
rearing
reared from larvae
associated with https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/170301634
One at LepiLED light. The second in as many nights.
Mines and larvae in tied, overlapping leaves of Fagus grandifolia.
It appears that these larvae have matured beyond a mining phase and are inhabiting the space between overlapping silk- and crud-fastened leaves.
I gently peeled the leaves apart to reveal some (not much) silk, frass and mid-late instars.
Does this look familiar @ceiseman, @bugbaer?
[follow-up to this obs: https://inaturalist.ca/observations/177688587]
Last record at Jamaica Bay -- 20 years ago. And it looks like the first United States record entered into INat.
One at UV light.
Tentative ID.