Catocalas

JH jhimmel at connix.com
Mon Jul 17 09:14:41 EDT 2000


The Catocala season is underway, at least in my little part of the world.  It had been cool and/or rainy the last few nights and last night was the first warmish night for a little while.  I had a feeling things might be popping so I painted the trees in my yard.  It brought in at least 5 C. ilias, 2 C. micronymphas, and a C. crataegi.  All were brand spanking new, freshly emerged moths.  Crataegi was a new species for the yard - I'm assuming it was feeding on our apple trees.  It has a wonderful greenish tinge to the base color.

A Zale lunata added a nice touch to the tippling Underwings, as well.

There seem to be certain groups of moths that signal the onset of the seasons.  The arrival of the late winter/early spring Sallows are the moth pioneers and are visual assurances that winter is coming to an end.  When the Plagodis's are in great numbers and diversity, I know we're in the heart of spring.  The Catocalas signal that the summer nights have crested.  Tolypes - autumn is coming.  I always thought that these regular occurances make the first sightings of these species more notable and add a certain personal aspect to this vocation.

I'd be interested in reading about the moths considered the seasonal representatives in other parts of the world... 

John Himmelman

[Sorry for the double posting if you're on CT LEPS & LEPS L]

  
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John Himmelman
Killingworth, CT USA
jhimmel at connix.com
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