Northernmost Early Black Witch moth record

[Mike Quinn]

As most know, the Black Witch (Ascalapha odorata) is a year round
resident in southmost Texas (as well as southern Florida). I consider
the following records to be the first migrants of 2005.

04 June 2005 - Texas, Corpus Christi 04 June 2005 
07 June 2005 - Texas, Houston  07 June 2005 
09 June 2005 - Texas, San Antonio  
10 June 2005 - Texas, Austin (two)
12 June 2005 - Texas, Frisco (nr Dallas) 
13 June 2005 - Texas, Lubbock (two)

I was a bit surprised to get this record from Wisconsin little more than
a week into the 2005 BWM migration season!

16-17 June 2005 - Wisconsin  St. Croix Co. Hudson 
http://TexasEnto.net/witch_north.htm

I was even more surprised (shocked?) to receive the following email:

-----Original Message-----
From: Kathy.Danyo (AT) co.hennepin.mn.us
Sent: Wednesday, June 22, 2005 12:40 PM
To: Mike Quinn
Subject: BWM

I had a Black Witch Moth in my backyard in St. Anthony, Minnesota on
Saturday, June 18, 2005.

It flew by me early in the day but I caught only a glimpse of it and
thought it was a bird.  Later, I found it clinging to the underside of
my half-story deck.  The day was sunny, mid 80s, with light winds and
from the photos on your site, I've determined it was a male.

The City of St. Anthony  (population 8200) is slightly east of the
Mississippi.   The closest large city is Minneapolis (about 4 miles
away).

-----------end--------------

Last year, I received word of two BWMs in the same location on the same
date, but I know of no other BWM records so close (spatially or
temporally) as these two near St. Paul, Minnesota:

Map showing driving directions between St. Anthony, MN & Hudson, WI
http://tinyurl.com/apclg

Other states reporting BWMs this year include CO, IN, KS, & NM.

Mike Quinn, Austin

________________________________
 BWM date and location records
http://texasento.net/witchna.htm
 
__________________________________
Natural History of the Black Witch
http://www.TexasEnto.net/witch.htm


 
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