Some more moth larva and adult photos

[David Hamilton Cox]

 Here are some more pictures of moth adults and a few larvae. I would
appreciate any id info, even if only to the family. All of these were
taken in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia; typically stirred up
as I brush by vegetation on the trail, or bushwhack over the dry leaf
litter in the case of 10 - 13. These are at www.nyx.net/~dhcox/id
(after I wrote the subject line to this email I realized that I don't
that all the larva are moths, some could be butterflys).

 1. Larva 1: seen a few summers ago, apparently feeding on a mushroom. About
an inch to an inch and a third long. 

 2. Larva 1, 2nd view: trying to get a view of the head. Couldn't get the 
right focus. 

 3. Larva 2: Saw several of these last summer -- about the same size as larva 1.

 4. Larva 3: Saw this last summer -- as big a caterpillar as I have seen, like
a late-instar swallowtail. 

 5. Larva 4: Another big one.

 6. Larva 5: Pointed out by a sharp-eyed nine-year old on a hike up Old Rag
Sunday week ago. There were two ants crawling over it; you can see one in 
this picture. I thought perhaps the larva was distressed and the ants were
checking it out as food, though with those spines . . . this view is from the
top looking down on its back. There was a long thin irregular tuft of spines
projecting forward from the left side of the head and not from the right,
which is what gave it a distressed or worn look. 

 7. Larva 5, 2nd view: You can see more of the different parts in this side 
view. This was about the same length as Larva 1.

 8. Moth 1: What is that projecting in front -- the proboscis?

 9. Moth 2: taken in the leaf litter two summers ago.

10. Moth 3: a friend identified this as a geometrid, but said it is not in
Covell so couldn't say which species.

11. Moth 4: Took this last fall on Old Rag. 

12. Moth 5: These are not uncommon -- one of the few I am posting here that I
see more than once. 

13. Moth 6: I was a little nervous taking this photo; a couple with an 
agressive dog was waiting for me to take it as I lay in the middle of the
narrow trail on Robertson mountain. I did get a shot with the wings unfolded
but will have to wait till next week to post it. I don't imagine you can say
much from this view.

14. Moth 7: This is rather different from most moths I see. Again, is that
the probiscis protuding in front -- and if so, is it coiled, or folded?
This was perched on my window one morning, like the epithecia species I
similarly photographed back in March.

15. Moth 8: I am assuming this is a geometrid, just because it has sort of
a butterfly shape.

16. Moth 9: After a long hike up Cedar Run trail, taking many shots most of
which didn't turn out well because I haven't learned to adjust my camera for
low light, I was standing on Crescent Rocks, out in the clear open, and this
fellow came and lit on my shin. It was an interesting task to take my backpack
off and get my camera out without spooking him. A fairly small moth.

17. Moth 10: I saw several of these little guys (3/4 inch wingspan or less) on
my hike this past Saturday.

18. Moth 11: From the same hike Saturday -- wingspan over an inch.

19. Moth 12: I thought this was the Toothed Phigalia based on the one at 
Himmelman's web site, but see that it is different -- perhaps related.

20. Moth 13: Another geometrid?  about the same size as Moth 11.

21. Plume Moth 1: saw a bunch of these on a milkweed flower last summer on
Robertson Mountain. I see that Himmelman has a picture of this apparent same
moth, again several of them (Geina tenuidactyla) clustered on one flower. 

22. Plume Moth 2: a close-up of one of the above.

23. Plume Moth 3: A larger and different species, I assume. At least I can
identify the family on these. I posted a picture of one nectaring on a
black-eyed susan several years ago to sci.bio.entomology.misc because I didn't
recognize it as a moth (www.nyx.net/~dhcox/park/smaug.jpg) and I
think that that one is yet a third species of plume moth.

 Thanks for any information. And thanks again for the id of the Calyptra
canadensis caterpillar - I have seen them twice since, on the host plant,
while hiking in the park with guests -- so was able to appear erudite, though
of course I gave credit where it was due -- that was the most interesting
part, that is, this moth listserve resource. 

-David Cox

 
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