Holy Moly!

[Hugh McGuinness]

One of my students brought me a living specimen of a female Ascalapha  
odorata (The Black Witch) found in Mastic, Long Island (Suffolk Co.),  
NY on 12 April. According to Mike Quinn's website, this would be the  
earliest northern record for the species, which heretofore was 19 May  
1937 in Ohio.  However, the specimen is quite fresh and I wonder if it  
might not have been a hitchiker in the luggage of some Long Islander  
vacationing in a tropical land. The specimen has one longitudinal tear  
in the HW and a small bit of rubbing on the veins of one FW, but is  
otherwise in perfect condition.

I am seeking commentary on two aspects of whether this could possibly  
represent a true migrant or whether it is more likely that its  
migration has been assisted by humans.

1. Is it possible that a truly "migrant" moth could be transported a  
thousand miles by weather and still be this fresh? (I wouldn't be  
suspicious of a fresh moth in August/September, but it seems highly  
doubtful that a pupa or a larvae could survive the hardh LI winter.)

2. Are there geographic races of A. odorata so that I might be able to  
determine the origin of this moth?

Hugh

Hugh McGuinness
The Ross School
18 Goodfriend Drive
East Hampton, NY 11937
hmcguinness at ross.org





 
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