"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
Walnut Caterpillar
Datana integerrima fam. Notodontidae (Hodges#7907)
Host plant: Found on white oak (Quercus alba)
Date found: 09, Aug, 2025
Location found: BK Leach Conservation Area, Lincoln County, MO
Notes: This species hosts on hickories, pecans and walnut. On this date and location I found 16 similarly sized individuals all feasting on the same small hickory tree.
Lost Owlet
Ledaea perditalis fam. Erebidae (Hodges#8491)
Host plant: Found on buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
Date found: 09, Aug, 2025
Location found: BK Leach Conservation Area, Lincoln County, MO
Notes: I found quite a few of these caterpillars while looking through buttonbush hoping to find Harrisimemna trisignata. I struck out on finding my target species, but was happy to find this one that I had not known about before. Of the three dozen or so individuals I came across, only a few of the largest, which I assume to be the ultimate instar, showed this bright fuchsia middorsal longitudinal band. All others were smaller and were plain green in color with no obvious lines or bands. I have noticed a propensity for buttonbush to show anthocyanin coloration in aging leaves as well as in galls produced by gall mites (Aceria cephalanthi). I suppose this coloration in the caterpillar could be something of a cryptic coloration to help blend into the leaves of a late-season buttonbush?
Giant Leopard Moth
Hypercompe scribonia fam. Erebidae (Hodges#8146)
Host plant: Found on herbaceous plant species (sp not recorded)
Date found: 05, Jul, 2025
Location found: Logger’s Lake Recreation Area, Shannon County, MO
Notes: Early instar. Later instars look much different.
In late July, Chris Brown and I enjoyed a night of blacklighting at Engelmann Woods Natural Area in Franklin County, MO. Coincidentally, this was exactly one year to the day from a blacklighting session I had here in 2024. I have also done this during July in previous years at this same location. It is interesting seeing the patterns of the same moth species as well as others that might not have shown up to the sheet on previous occasions.
Here are a few insects that I thought I would share here.
We found at least four Eudryas gata (beautiful wood nymph) resting on vegetation nearby the lighted sheet. I feel this species is perfectly named. Although the adult form is technically a bird-dropping mimic, it is still beautiful along with the caterpillar.
Marathyssa inficita (dark marathyssa).
This is a bizarre little moth that is often attracted to our lights. This species caterpillar hosts on sumac (Rhus sp.) and poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans).
Tarache aprica (exposed bird dropping moth) is a small but striking member of the Noctuidae family. The caterpillar, which I have yet to find, is also a bird dropping mimic.
Nadata gibbosa, the white-dotted prominent is a common Notodontid. We frequently find their caterpillars during our hunts on oak trees.
I have discovered that members of the Datana genus can be difficult to narrow down to species in both adult and larval forms. This moth pictured above exhibits patterns that could match D. contracta, major, and drexelii. Perhaps having this specimen collected and in-hand, the species could be determined, but not with this single photo.
The find of the night for me was two beautiful Harrisimemna trisignata (Harris’s three-spot) moths. I have seen the adults before but never managed to get a good photograph. This is probably number one on my caterpillar list to find one day.
I believe this is the forth Dynastes tityus I’ve come across and they have all been females. Maybe next time, I hold on to a female in a cage to see if she can attract a male for me.
It seems that Eacles imperialis are now a sure thing at a blacklighting event at Engelmann Woods. Usually around midnight, you can expect at least a couple to visit.
That’s all from this night. I’m looking forward to a blacklighting session with the WGNSS group this coming weekend. It should be great and I will plan on sharing what we find here.
-OZB
Gray Furcula
Furcula cinerea fam. Notodontidae (Hodges#7937)
Host plant: Found on black willow (Salix nigra)
Date found: 09, Aug, 2025
Location found: BK Leach Conservation Area, Lincoln County, MO
Notes: Dark eyespots on first thoracic segment give this caterpillar the look of a potential snake.
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 (Ostrya virginiana)
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.
Family Crambidae
Family Erebidae
Family Geometridae
Family Limacodidae
Family Noctuidae
Family Saturniidae
Family Sphingidae
I’m looking forward to a few more blacklighting sessions before the season ends and I will share what I find here on the blog.
Thanks for stopping by!
-OZB
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.
A Thousand Acres of Silphiums 