"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
Definite Tussock Moth Orgyia definita fam. Erebidae (Hodges#8314) Host plant: Found on common blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis) Date found: 09, Aug, 2025 Location found: Cuivre River State Park, Lincoln County, MO Notes: Found in dense populations east of the Mississippi River, this species has only a handful of records in Missouri databases such as iNaturalist and butterfliesandmoths.org. I realize that I had seen this caterpillar before, but being the amateur that I am, I though I was looking at a lightly colored or recently molted Orgyia leucostigma.
Fluid Arches Morrisonia latex fam. Noctuidae (Hodges#10291) Host plant: Found on hop hornbeam (Ostryavirginiana) Dates found: 05, Jul, 2025 Locations Found: Logger’s Lake Recreation Area, Shannon County, MO Notes: This is a very polyphagous species and can be found on almost any native woody plant.
On the 24th of July, during the new moon and National Moth Week, the WGNSS Entomology Group set up several blacklighting stations at Tyson Research Center as a start of an entomological survey. Between WGNSS members, TRC staff and students from Washington University, I estimate there were 25-30 people in attendance until around midnight. Overall, I think the evening was a success and the numbers and diversity of insects was good. We had a few nice highlight species, but because of the number of people, I did not spend time trying to remove moths from the sheet and onto a natural background. I still have a few to process, but this post covers the moths I cared to photograph.
Many thanks to Katie Westby and Rich Thoma for organizing this event. I’d also like to thank jwileyrains at butterfliesandmoths.org for confirming and helping me with some identifications.
With books, apps and internet sources, I think I did a fair job of identifying most of the caterpillars that came my way this year. There are still a few that I have not been able to identify, however. I placed the following on iNaturalist and Bugguide months ago, but so far no experts have given their opinions. If you have any ideas that could help, I’d appreciate to hear them.
This first cute little one I found at Englemann Woods N.A. in Franklin County, MO in late June. I wish I had taken more photos. I think this could be one of the punkies (fam. Nolidae), but it might also belong to one of the other spiney families.
This next one is part of a group I really loath to try to identify – nondescript green cats. I’ve gone through the guides numerous times but simply couldn’t find a perfect match. It most likely belongs to the Noctuidae family, but that doesn’t narrow it down very far. This was also found at Englemann Woods N.A. in late June and found on white oak (Quercus alba).
Next up is also a group that I haven’t gotten the hang of yet. This is likely a tiger moth (subfam. Arctiinae), but I’m not sure where to begin there. Found at Prairie Garden Trust on July 6th. Host plant not recorded.
Finally, a cat that I found in a leaf shelter of Vitis aestivalis at Kaintuck Hollow in Phelps County on July 13th. I believe this might be Herpetogramma aeglealis (fam. Carambidae) but it’s not close enough for me to be certain.
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.
Ianassa lignicolor
Characteristic head mottling of Ianassa lignicolor head capsule
White-dotted Prominent Nadata gibbosa fam. Notodontidae Host plant: Found on white oak (Quercus alba) Date found: 02, Sep, 2024 Location Found: Hawn State Park, Ste. Genevieve County, MO Notes: One of the most common finds while searching oak trees.
Spotted Apatelodes Apatelodes torrefacta fam. Apatelodidae Host plant: Found on white oak (Quercus alba) Date found: 02, Sep, 2024 Location Found: Hawn State Park, Ste. Genevieve County, MO Notes: Adults of this species are as unique and fantastic as the larvae.
Harvey’s Prominent Moth Litodonta hydromeli fam. Notodontidae Host plant: Found on gum bumelia (Sideroxylon lanuginosum) Date found: 24, Aug, 2024 Location Found: Washington State Park, Washington County, MO Notes: Beating Sideroxylon lanuginosum trees within the glades of Washington SP proved fruitful in finding several of these fascinating caterpillars. Using Weller, 1987 these can be identified as a third instar and fifth instar larvae. Last year we found a forth instar of this species.
