More Moths!

I’ve been having fun discovering more about local moths, and thought it’d be worth giving an update!

Yes, Moth Week is long over; in fact, there’s a thin layer of snow on the ground and a chill in the air, warning of the looming return of winter. However, I’ve still managed to make some interesting discoveries in the last month or two.

One is the moth below.

Yes, that is a moth! Years ago when I took the photo, I wasn’t sure what it was. It was cool, and a bug, so worth photographing. But recently, I sent the photo below to BAMONA for identification.

This is a Linden Looper Moth (Erannis tiliaria), sometimes called a Winter Moth because of how late in the year they emerge as adults. I did a little research and discovered that the moth in the second photo (just above) is the male. And the weird bug in the first photo? It’s the female!

Yes, in some moths the females have no wings. She lays her eggs near where she grew up as a caterpillar - likely not far from where her mother laid her eggs. The males have wings so they can seek out the grounded females.

Another cool discovery I made is this species, the Cow Parsnip Borer Moth (Papaipema harrisii).

This one is special to me because my sighting of this species is the first verified sighting for it on BAMONA! It makes me proud that I could contribute it.

If you enjoy taking photos of bugs, and want to learn about the bugs you’ve found, I recommend getting an account with BAMONA (Butterflies and Moths of North America). It’s a simple way to participate in scientific research.

Want to find out more about some of the other moths I’ve photographed? I’ve finished putting together the beta version of a brochure called “A Few Butterflies and Moths of Fort St John.” I’ll be handing out these first copies to my ‘test audience,’ so I can get a good grasp on how best to improve the brochure for the second printing.

In addition, I printed a guide to local bats, which I’m excited to see arrive! Yes, it’ll hopefully be here just in time for Bat Week (the last week of October).

You can find out more about my local animal projects on my fsjcritters and fsjmoths pages.