"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
Witch Hazel Dagger Moth Acronicta hamamelis (Guenée, 1852) P-no. 931434.5 Host plant: Found on Ozark witch hazel (Hamamelis vernalis) Date found: 15–16 August, 2026 Location found: Logger’s Lake Recreation Area, Shannon County, MO Notes: The WGNSS Entomology and Nature Photography groups had a great joint overnight trip to Logger’s Lake this past weekend. Obviously, among the several entomofauna groups we focused on, caterpillars were high on our list. The species pictured here was one of our most exciting finds. During my studies of field guides and online sources to determine new caterpillar species to look for, the witch hazel dagger moth caught my attention. Southeastern Missouri has plenty of its obligate host plant afterall. However, after looking on iNaturalist a couple of years ago, I discovered there were no documentations of this species in our state. Checking with the Heitzman catalogue, I found that there was only one recorded observation in Missouri—from 1889! I still kept this species in mind; there were a few documentations in Arkansas and eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, and as I mentioned, the host is abundant in Missouri.
During our caterpillar hikes this past weekend, we were delighted to find seven Acronicta hamamelis larvae at various stages. I collected a couple to take home and hopefully rear to adults. The more advanced individual spent the next day feeding on my ozark witch hazel and then changed to its warm pre-pupal coloration. It has since made a cocoon and I hope to see an adult eventually.
Luna Moth Actias luna (Linnaeus, 1758) P-no. 890072 Host plant: Found on pawpaw (Asimina triloba) Date found: 28 June, 2026 Location found: Pinewoods Lake Recreation Area, Carter County, MO Notes: While the adult luna moth does not feed at all, the larvae are highly polyphagous. The recorded hosts are plants in 18 families, utilizing mostly woody species.
Promethea Silkmoth Callosamia promethea (Drury, 1773) P-no. 890079 Host plant: Found on buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) Date found: 28 June, 2026 Location found: Pinewoods Lake Recreation Area, Carter County, MO Notes: I shared this species in an exciting finding and rearing experience last season here and here. To my delightful surprise, the WGNSS Entomology Group found four early instar (L1/L2) caterpillars during a trip to Pinewoods Lake in late June of this year. Since I have a buttonbush in the yard, I decided to bring them home to rear.
Early instar (L1/L2) Callosamia promethea larvae on buttonbush host.
I was getting a bit worried about my buttonbush by the amount of material these four guys were putting away. Nevertheless, I continued to supply them with fresh branches and photographed them during their development.
Mid instar (L3) Callosamia promethea larvae on buttonbush host.
Late instar (L4/L5) Callosamia promethea larvae on buttonbush host.
By mid-July, the caterpillars were fully developed and all four went into cocoons with 2-3 days of each other. From what I could find in literature, it seems that this species is bivoltine (having two broods per season) in our region. However, I was not sure if these guys would eclose this season, or if I would have to wait until the spring to see the moths. If you paid attention to the featured image at the top of this post, I assume you have guessed already.
Adult male Callosamia promethea. Notice the dorsal coloration and patterning that is reminiscent of a dark swallowtail.
The individual that Chris reared last season turned out to be female. After reading about the interesting sexual dimorphism in the adults of this species, I was eager to see and photograph a male. As you would expect, female Promethea moths are nocturnal, do not feed, and are eager to mate and lay eggs. The adult males are just as eager, but are diurnal and with different color and pattern. They typically fly in the afternoons, searching for females with which to mate. Their patterning suggest that they may be Batesian mimics of distasteful day-flying swallowtails, e.g. pipevine swallowtails.
The fourth and final adult Callosamia promethea to eclose turned out to be this gorgeous male.
This season’s cats turned out to be three males and a female, and there is an interesting story to be told here. All four eclosed within seven days. The first two were male. I photographed these and released them in my neighborhood. Early in the morning, a couple of days following the release of the second male, I found a gorgeous female had eclosed and was letting her wings expand in their flight cage. In mid afternoon of that same day, we noticed a male Promethea moth trying to get into the screen porch! I assume, but do not know for certain, that this was one of the males I released previously. I opened the door to the screen porch and he eventually found his way in and headed directly to the cage holding the female. I opened the cage door and he shortly made his way to her.
Mating Callosamia promethea. A sibling love affair?
I am always shocked by how quickly moths want to deposit their eggs following mating. I was busy with something else for a few hours and when I returned, the female was busy depositing eggs on her flight cage. I quickly released her to the neighborhood so hopefully she could deposit her remaining eggs at a more suitable location. We are monitoring the eggs now stuck to the top of the flight cage and will be prepared to move the young cats to the backyard buttonbush when they arrive.
White Flannel Moth Norape cretata (Grote, 1864) P-no. 57a0044, fam. Megalopygidae Host plant(s): Found on redbud (Cercis canadensis) Date(s) found: July, 2026 Locations found: Franklin County, MO Notes: A caterpillar you want to keep away from exposed skin as stings from these guys have been reported to come with considerable consequences. At least this one has the decency to advertise the fact with some pretty aposematic coloration! Many thanks to Eva, who found a few of these and brought them for me to photograph. I have only found one of these caterpillars in my own hunting and that was nearly 15 years ago!
This past week I joined my friend Steve at his rural property in Ste. Genevieve County for some blacklighting and nocturnal caterpillar hunting. The cat hunting was amazing—probably the single best cat session I have ever had, with about 60 individuals identified of 30 unique species. That number does not include the dozens of early instars that I was unable to identify with certainty. Steve’s property has a lot going for it when it comes to attracting Lepidoptera. In addition to his mostly hickory and oak wood lot, he also has old hay fields that he is letting go more natural, with a number of native woody successions like honey locust and dogwoods springing up. Additionally, he has planted a nice diversity of native woodies on his property. This amounts to a lot of woody “edges” consisting of young and well establishing trees and bushes that lepidopteran females are on the lookout for. I’ll be sharing some of the caterpillars in the near future. Once in awhile we would take a break from hunting to check the sheet that I installed with a mercury vapor and UV bulbs. The diversity of adult moths attracted was quite nice as well. Here are the photos of some that I bothered to photograph.
Clover Looper Caenurgina crassiuscula (Haworth, 1809) P-no. 930923, fam. Erebidae Host plant(s): Unidentified herbaceous legume Date(s) found: 24 May, 2026 Locations found: Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO Notes: The clover looper larvae is indistinguishable from Caenurgina crassiuscula (forage looper), and even adults can only be distinguished by close inspection of genitalia.
Skiff Moth Prolimacodes badia (Hübner, 1822) P-no. 57a0065, fam. Limacodidae Host plant(s): Found on ironwood (Ostrya virginiana) Date(s) found: 2 August, 2026 Locations found: Don Robinson State Park, Jefferson County, MO Notes: Skiff moths can be found in a variety of colors and patterns—from nearly pure green to containing lots of warm brown colorations that assist them in camouflage by mimicking necrotic spots on leaves. I thought the one pictured here was pretty enough to take some photos.
Larvae of the Limacodidae usually keep their heads protected within their thoracic segments. Here is a nice opportunity to see the head capsule of Prolimacodes badia along with those impressive dark mandibles.
It’s not everyday you can see the true legs of a slug moth caterpillar, but they do have them as you can see if you look closely at this photo. They provide little in regards to locomotion, but I assume they find some purpose for them.
Pandora Sphinx Eumorpha pandorus (Hübner, 1821) P-no. 890182, fam. Sphingidae Host plant(s): Found on Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) Date(s) found: 13 July, 2026 Locations found: Ste. Genevieve County, MO Notes: I shared a red phase of this species last year. A couple weeks ago, my friend, Steve, shared with me the caterpillar pictured here, which is the brown, or “chocolate,” phase of the same species. So, I drove the hour to make sure I did not miss the opportunity to photograph another color of this impressive larvae.
Bicolored Honey Locust Moth Syssphinx bicolor (Harris, 1841) P-no. 890024, fam. Saturniidae Host plant(s): Found on honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) Date(s) found: 3 July, 2026 Locations found: Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO Notes: The caterpillar of Syssphinx bicolor can be confused with that of S. bisecta (bisected honey locust moth) that also occurs in Missouri. However, S. bisecta typically does not exhibit the magenta coloration in the thoracic horns and lacks red coloration in the subspiracular lateral stripe. These two species are among the few Lepidoptera species known to host on Kentucky coffee tree (Gymnocladus dioicus).
Penultimate instar larvae of Syssphinx bicolor
Ultimate instar larvae of Syssphinx bicolor
Syssphinx bicolor adult reared from larvae pictured above.
Harvey’s Prominent Litodonta hydromeli (Harvey, 1876) P-no. 930060, fam. Notodontidae Host plant(s): Found on gum bumelia (Sideroxylon lanuginosum) Date(s) found: 20 June, 2026 Locations found: Victoria Glade Conservation Area Notes: I know I’ve shared this species on a number of occasions, like here, here, and here, but I can’t get enough of these fascinating little ones. Based on the antler-like prothoracic scoli and integument coloration and pattern, I believe these two, found during a WGNSS trip, are a third and second instar.
A Thousand Acres of Silphiums 