Bfly & Moth differences

[anne kilmer]

> JH wrote:
> 
> 
> On a similar note, I've come across a number of gardeners over the
> years who plant Moon Flower (a vine - don't know the scientific name)
> for Luna Moths to nectar upon - and it's always Luna Moths, too.
> Depending on the situation, I either bite my lip and say very nice, or
> tell them that while Lunas don't nectar, there are a number of other
> moths who may enjoy it.  I'm always just thrilled that someone would
> actually plant for the "other" lepidoptera.
> 
> John
> 
> >John Himmelman
> >> Killingworth, CT USA

Moonflower is an Ipomoea ... alba or some such. Depends where you are.
Your basic morning glory, only it blooms at night.
Only a lunatic would plant that; I did. Lordy lordy it takes over (at
least in South Florida). Sends out runners, winds its happy way around
trees and shrubs and other vines, overwhelms them. 
It is well-chomped by whoever it is that eats it ... some sphingid? I do
not at the moment recollect. 
And, when you prune it, it rewards you with a delightful euphoria, as
the sap gets into the cuts and abrasions from the rose thorns and so
forth. 

as for the necessity of identifying your moths, I regret to admit that I
have a fuzzy enjoyment of the lot of them, as beautiful, useful,
delightful ... and well-liked by my birds and bats here in Ireland, and
by the anoles and birds in Florida. 
Think of me as sort of a mother's helper. ;-) 
I approach the identification of larvae with a book called "Insects that
eat shrubs and trees" or something along that line ... it's in Florida,
so I can't come closer than that. Anyway, I look up the plant, see who
eats it, and Bob's your uncle. Or not.
Other than that, despite Fred Heath's protests, I continue to call them
all Fred. And to enjoy watching as my anoles call them lunch. 
One can, perhaps, be more useful to moths, as well as to butterflies, if
one knows their names, and therefore their individual needs. 
I think a spirit of benign helpfulness is a nice place to start, and
that half-baked intervention in their affairs is likely to be
disastrous. 
Since Adam named the beasts in the Garden, we've enjoyed being able to
identify our guests, but I'm not sure it's the most important part of
the relationship. 

Anyway, if you're hot to identify your yard crew, why can't you sugar a
tree, and inspect your moths in leisurely fashion? Or sit next to your
white sheet with those binoculars? 
Or set out your light trap or bait trap if you have a fancy to? NABA
itself hasn't objected to such traps.  

In a recent posting to uk-leps at egroups.com, Martin Hough shared his
recipe to attract moths:
"The old BM Handbook for Collectors recipe is:

1lb treacle
2lb brown sugar
half pint beer
boil up until all the sugar is dissolved then add just a little rum.

"I find," he adds, "that adding some mashed banana adds to the
effectiveness. I have also
been known to add a dash of Pernod but the jury is still out on that
one."
Treacle is what we in the States call molasses, splendidly fragrant. 

Of course, as with any system of artificial feeding, you'll attract
predators and do your moths no real good with this banquet, so best keep
it for occasions when you wish to show off. 
Anne Kilmer
South Florida and Mayo, Ireland