witches in the SF Bay Area...

[Ernest Mengersen]

I would not be surprised if there are records and sightings of the Black Witch (Ascalapha ordorata) from every state, province or territory on continental North America.  I have had several brought into our collection from Dairy farmers, car repair shops, truck stops, and off a hog manure pile (that is what the farmer said - and yes - it looked like a bat.) here in south-central Alberta.  I have been told it is a migrant that travels here from Mexico on the wind currents.  Heck, if the wee tiny sunflower moth (Homoeosoma electellum) can move from Texas to Saskatchewan in 3 to 5 days during the proper wind conditions,  the black witch can do it too.  If the painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) can move from Baja California to central Alberta and further environs, who is to argue the distribution or movement of the black witch.   No,  the host is not present here.  I would be surprised if you don't have specimens in the U of Alaska collection.  (maybe off the wind currents?)

An agriculture professor who  teaches in Mexico told me that it gets its name for being a bad oman for bringing bad luck when found in the presence of pregnant ladies.  Somehow brings bad luck to the unborn baby.  Not something to be used or seen at weddings.  

Ernest Mengersen
 
>>> James Kruse <fnjjk1 at uaf.edu> 07/13/01 01:52PM >>>
Greetings:

I have been told that very recently a live Ascalapha odorata (Black Witch -
a very large dark brown noctuid common in Mexico) in good condition was
found in Berkeley, California. Not only did it make its way to the Bay Area
in pretty nice shape, it ended up flying into the second story window of
Wellman Hall on the Berkeley campus... where the Essig Museum of Entomology
is kept!!! Natural selection at work? Is this like the trophy fish that
jumped into the boat? Now what do you put on the label... found in the Essig
Museum? duh!

Anyhow, I am writing to find out if anyone in the Bay Area is rearing it and
intentionally/unintentionally released any. It is rarely found in northern
California, even though it goes _much_ further north in eastern states,
usually in the fall. It is even more unusual, a bizarre coincidence in fact,
that it ended up in the entomology museum (under its own power). But, the
campus is pretty dark and the building is on a hill with the second story
windows open and the lights on almost all of the time, so I don't think
there is any funny business going on. Less so if someone local set some
loose. 

An odd and probably unpleasant thing to release at a wedding I should think,
akin to releasing bats.

Regards,

James J. Kruse, Ph.D.
Curator of Entomology
University of Alaska Museum
907 Yukon Drive
Fairbanks, AK, USA 99775-6960
tel 907.474.5579
fax 907.474.1987
http://www.uaf.edu/museum/ento 



 
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