"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
Crowned Slug Moth
Isa textula fam. Limacodidae (Hodges#4681)
Host plant(s): Found on sassafras, northern red oak, redbud
Date(s) and location(s): 31 August, 19-September, 2025 – Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO; 27 September, 2025 – Caney Mountain Conservation Area, Ozark County, MO
Notes: By far the most numerous Limacodid I found in 2025.
Giant Leopard Moth
Hypercompe scribonia fam. Erebidae (Hodges#8146)
Host plant(s): younger instar – white vervain (Verbena urticifolia); final instar – wandering
Date(s) and location(s): 30 August, 2025 – Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO; 27 September, 2025 – Caney Mountain Conservation Area, Ozark County, MO
Notes: This spiney species contains no venom. Other than some minor prickling, these can be handled without worry. This is a highly polyphagous species, feeding on several families of woody plants and forbs. Caterpillars of this species overwinter and will pupate the following spring.
Viceroy
Limenitis archippus fam. Nymphalidae (Hodges#4523)
Host plant(s): Found on willow (Salix sp.)
Date(s) and location(s): 15 September, 2025 – Creve Coeur Lake Park, St. Louis County, MO; 16 September, 2025 – Johnson’s Shut-ins State Park, Reynolds County, MO
Notes: This species is visually similar to another bird dropping mimic, the closely related red-spotted purple (Limenitis arthemis). Although phenotypic characteristics can be used to verify, host plants should be the primary resource used. In Missouri, the viceroy will almost always be found on willow, while the red-spotted purple is most likely to be the caterpillar on black cherry.
Spicebush Swallowtail
Papilio troilus fam. Papilinoidae (Hodges#4181)
Host plant(s): Found on sassafras (Sassafras albidum) and spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
Date(s) and location(s): 26 July, 2024 – Engelmann Woods Natural Area, Franklin County, MO; Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO
Notes: This species and other, more rare species of swallowtails may be facing problems in the future with the introduction of laurel wilt, caused by the fungus Raffaelea lauricola, which is vectored by the redbay ambrosia beetle (RAB), Xyleborus glabratus. These nonnative species were first discovered in the southeastern U.S. in 2002. Since then this disease and its vectoring insect have been documented in 11 southeastern states and have killed millions of plants in the laurel family, which include sassafras and spicebush. Laurel wilt has not yet been reported in Missouri, but has been confirmed in the neighboring states of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Arkansas. Winter temperatures could perhaps keep this disease from spreading north into Missouri, but warmer winters associated with climate change are not promising.
Eastern White-blotched Heterocampa
Heterocampa pulverea fam. Notodontidae (Hodges#7990.1)
Host plant(s): Found on red oak sp. (Quercus sp.)
Date(s) and location(s): 18 Sep, 2025 – Council Bluff Lake, Iron County, MO
Notes: As great of a resource as Wagner’s Caterpillars of Eastern North America has been for me, I have to keep reminding myself that it was published in 2005. Taxonomists have been hard at work on a number of taxa since then, and I often struggle with how to find out whether a particular taxon has changed. It recently came to my attention that today’s species, once considered a subspecies of Heterocampa umbrata, was revised in 2021 and given specific status. The common names for these two species are confusing. H. umbrata, which is found in Florida and southeastern Georgia, keeps its name of white-blotched heterocampa, while H. pulverea, which is found throughout eastern U.S. and Canada is now called eastern white-blotched heterocampa.
Hickory Horned Devil
Citheronia regalis fam. Saturniidae (Hodges#7706)
Host plant(s): Found on black walnut (Juglans nigra)
Date(s) and location(s): 07 Sep, 2025 – Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO
Notes: Another longtime target species that I was able to find this year, this penultimate instar of this fantastic creature was located on the single reachable branch of a large black walnut. The adults of this species are known as royal walnut moths and regal moths.
Connected Dagger Moth
Acronicta connecta fam. Noctuidae (Hodges#9219)
Host plant(s): willow (Salix sp.)
Date(s) and location(s): 31 Aug, 2025 – Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO
Notes: A specialist on willows
Nason’s Slug Moth
Natada nasoni fam. Limacodidae (Hodges#4679)
Host plant(s): northern red oak (Quercus rubra), hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), white oak (Quercus alba)
Date(s) and location(s): 23, 31 Aug, 2025 – Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO
Notes: West of the Mississippi River, this species is rarely found north of the Missouri River.
Comma
Polygonia c-album fam. Nymphalidae (Hodges#4421)
Host plant(s): nettle (Urtica sp.)
Date(s) and location(s): 17 Sep, 2025 – Little Creve Coeur Ecological Area, St. Louis County, MO
Notes: This poor caterpillar has fallen prey to one of its many enemies, in this case a nymph of Podisus maculiventris (spined soldier bug).
Spun Glass Slug Moth
Isochaetes beutenmuelleri fam. Limacodidae (Hodges#4675)
Host plant(s): northern red oak (Quercus rubra)
Date(s) and location(s): 23 Aug, 2025 – Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO
Notes: The feathery appendages of this slug moth caterpillar do not contain urticating spines and do not sting. These dense and soft setae may act as a deterrence to potential wasp and fly parasitoids in blocking easy access to the body of the caterpillar in placing or injecting eggs.
A Thousand Acres of Silphiums 