"What a thousand acres of Silphiums looked like when they tickled the bellies of the buffalo is a question never again to be answered, and perhaps not even asked." -Aldo Leopold
I ran into a large colony of one of my favorite moths back in July. The specific name of Brenthia pavonacella (fam. Choreutidae) means “little peacock.” These little ones were displaying everywhere on my hike through Kaintuck Hollow and being very cooperative for picture taking.
Black-waved Flannel Moth
Megalopyge crispata fam. Megalopygidae
Host plant: This individual was found seemingly to be feeding on a Desmodium species. To my knowledge, this species has not been documented using these as host plants and have only been reported feeding on woody plant species.
Date found: 14, Sep, 2024
Locations Found: Kaintuck Hollow, Phelps County, MO
Notes: Caterpillars from all members of this family possess hollow poison-delivering stinging spines underneath the seemingly soft and innocuous hairlike setae. A sting from this species will be downright irritating and painful and may require a hospital visit. Wagner discusses an Amazonian relative that reaches lengths of more than 8 cm and has reportedly caused human deaths.
Shagreened Slug Moth
Apoda biguttata fam. Limacodidae
Host plant: Found on white oak (Quercus alba)
Date found: 21, Sep, 2024
Locations Found: Onondaga State Park, Crawford County, MO
Notes: Named for its resemblance to the bumpy texture of shagreen rawhide.
Shagreened Slug Moth
Apoda biguttata fam. Limacodidae
Host plant: Found on red oak species (Quercus sp.)
Date found: 5, Oct, 2024
Locations Found: Daniel Boone Conservation Area, Warren County, MO
Notes: Careful examination is needed to distinguish caterpillars of Apoda biguttata, A. y-inversum, and Lithacodes fasciola.
Red-fringed Emerald
Nemoria bistriaria fam. Geometridae
Host plant: Found on white oak (Quercus alba)
Date found: 7, Sep, 2024
Locations Found: Kaintuck Hollow, Phelps County, MO
Notes: Although some reports suggest other host plants are used, it is likely that this species specializes on white oak.
Small Necklace Moth
Hypsoropha hormos fam. Erebidae
Host plant: Found on persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)
Date found: 3, Aug, 2024
Locations Found: Cuivre River State Park, St. Louis County, MO
Notes: Described by one of the fathers of entomology, German lepidopterist, Jacob Hübner.
Virginia Creeper Sphinx Moth
Darapsa myron fam. Sphingidae
Host plant: Found on wild grape (Vitis sp.)
Date found: 13, Sep, 2024
Locations Found: River’s Edge Park, St. Louis County, MO
Notes: Other common name is hog sphinx.
Lace-capped Caterpillar
Ianassa lignicolor fam. Notodontidae
Host plant: Oaks and other Fagaceae members
Date found: 21, Sep, 2024
Locations Found: Onondaga Cave State Park, Crawford County, MO
Notes: Adult moth is named white-streaked prominent.
Nason’s Slug Moth
Natada nasoni fam. Limacodidae
Host plant: Found on oak (Quercus sp.)
Date found: 07, Sep, 2024
Locations Found: Kaintuck Hollow, Phelps County, MO
Notes: Named after William Abbott Nason, American entomologist (1841-1914).
Variable Oakleaf Caterpillar
Lochmaeus manteo and L. bilineata fam. Notodontidae
Host plant: Found on oaks (Quercus sp.)
Date found: Multiple dates in August – September, 2024
Locations Found: Hawn State Park, Ste. Genevieve County, MO; Onondaga Cave State Park, Crawford County, MO
Notes: Highly variable and larvae are apparently impossible to distinguish between the two species.
First, a glimpse of the variable patterns and colors of these cats.
The adult photographed at Schoolcraft Prairie in Washington County, MO in mid-August, 2024.
While beat-sheeting lots of trees this year looking for cats, a number of other arthropods would inevitably show up, including spiders, walking sticks, mantids, and treehoppers (fam. Membracidae). Some of these treehoppers were too cool not to setup for some photography.
Microcentrus perditus
Platycotis vittata nymphs
A Thousand Acres of Silphiums 