[Ctleps-l] A New Moth in the Northeast

Steve Walter swalter15 at verizon.net
Thu Jul 27 18:32:25 EDT 2017


While doing my regular weekly moth surveying at Jamaica Bay two nights ago,
an unusual moth came to one of the trees I had baited. Its bold look stood
out from the dagger moths and wainscots around it. But -- I didn't recognize
it. In fact, I wasn't even sure what family or subfamily it was in. When I
had some time to look through pages of the Moth Photographers Group
yesterday, I did manage to steer to the right taxonomic area and  find a
match. Only a Latin name was shown for it -- Dinumma deponens. So with
something to work with, I turned to Google. The scoop? It's an Asian species
that was first found in North America in north Georgia in 2012. It's been
subsequently found in Alabama, Tennessee, and the Carolinas. And now New
York. Unless there is information that is not available to me, this is quite
a jump and the first record in the Northeast. 

 

A write up of the southeastern records can be found at
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.academia.edu_5391326_Dinumma-5Fdeponens-5Fis-5Fhere-5Fto-5Fstay&d=DwICAg&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=DxSBJXRvd7MQp-AlXAtLeydve7SiywLWLcinsn9EdPE&m=mIZoGC1aBuuVjQFj7HisR6huSePSNp0IEVWOCa6oJnk&s=cc1_wvaWHgZ9WgrEK0YsG36ixK3TJqOOpVJDhBaUB_g&e=  . It
includes discussion of the host plant (Albizia julibrissin --  Silktree -
also introduced), with hypothesis that the host's range could allow the moth
to turn up further north. 

 

A picture of mine can be seen at my web site https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__stevewalternature.com_&d=DwICAg&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=DxSBJXRvd7MQp-AlXAtLeydve7SiywLWLcinsn9EdPE&m=mIZoGC1aBuuVjQFj7HisR6huSePSNp0IEVWOCa6oJnk&s=GRG9a794ErcdTwEi7yQXTP3vizl9Xy-x-uCD9MXMlMU&e= 
(click the moths tab).

 

In a related noted, the last two outings have produced about a half dozen of
the introduced Sitochroa palealis (Carrot Seed Moth). From a quick web
search, this species seems to have been first found in 2002 in the Midwest.
I first recorded this at several local sites in 2011, but it's in the last
two years that it really seems to be taking off around here (at Jamaica Bay,
anyway). Well, whatever you want to say about invasives, it keeps it
interesting.

 

Steve Walter

Bayside NY 

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