Tag: noctuidae

2026 Caterpillar Season – Verbena Moth

2026 Caterpillar Season, Caterpillars of Tyson Research Center, insects, Lepidoptera, macro, wildlife, wildlife photography

Verbena Moth
Crambodes talidiformis (Guenée, 1852), fam. Noctuidae, P-no. 932030
Host plants: Hosts solely on vervains (Verbena spp.).
Date found(s): September 6, 2026
Location(s) found: Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO
Notes: In the vast world of insects, where single families can contain tens of thousands of species, the verbena moth stands practically alone. It is a monotypic species, meaning the genus Crambodes contains no other living species anywhere else on Earth. Evolutionary biologists find monotypic lineages highly intriguing because they represent isolated branches of the evolutionary tree that have survived without diversifying into a larger cluster of related species.

2026 Caterpillar Season – Ragweed Flower Moth

2026 Caterpillar Season, insects, Lepidoptera, macro, wildlife, wildlife photography

Ragweed Flower Moth
Schinia rivulosa (Guenée, 1852), fam. Noctuidae, P-no. 932091
Host plants: Hosts solely on ragweed (Ambrosia spp.).
Date found(s): September 4, 2026
Location(s) found: Ste. Genevieve County, MO
Notes: For those with a sensitivity to ragweed, like me, the ragweed flower moth should be a favorite. This abundant species feeds on flower buds, blooms and seeds of Ambrosia, acting as a significant natural control for these highly allergenic plants.

2026 Caterpillar Season – False Boneset Flower Moth

2026 Caterpillar Season, insects, Lepidoptera, macro, WGNSS Field Trips, wildlife, wildlife photography

False Boneset Flower Moth
Schinia grandimedia (Hardwick, 1996), fam. Noctuidae, P-no. 932095
Host plants: Hosts solely on false boneset (Brickellia eupatorioides).
Date found(s): September 12, 2026
Location(s) found: Don Robinson State Park, Jefferson County, MO
Notes: The false boneset flower moth was described in 1996, most likely due to the similarity of the adult moth to a close relative, the three-lined flower moth (Schinia trifascia). Thankfully, the caterpillars are easily distinguished between the two. Like many of the Schinia, the caterpillars of S. grandimedia feed only on flowers and developing seeds of its host and will almost always be found by looking for them on these tissues.

This species is more common in the great plains and has only a few records from Missouri. This one was found at Don Robinson State Park during a WGNSS caterpillar hunting trip.

2026 Caterpillar Season – Brown-hooded Owlet

2026 Caterpillar Season, insects, Lepidoptera, macro, WGNSS Field Trips, wildlife, wildlife photography

Brown-hooded Owlet
Cucullia convexipennis (Grote & Robinson, 1868), fam. Noctuidae, P-no. 931513
Host plants: Specialist hosting on goldenrod (Solidago spp.) and other Asteraceae family members.
Date found(s): September 12, 2026
Location(s) found: Don Robinson State Park, Jefferson County, MO
Notes: Due to the apparent lack of high concentrations of toxins in their hostplants that are sequestered by many lepidopterans for defense, the aposematic coloration exhibited by the brown-hooded owlet is potentially a case of Batesian mimicry. Although the specific model species has not been identified, caterpillars and other insects use yellow, black, red, and white color combinations to advertise their toxicity.

2026 Caterpillar Season – Afflicted Dagger

2026 Caterpillar Season, insects, Lepidoptera, macro, wildlife, wildlife photography

Afflicted Dagger
Acronicta afflicta (Grote, 1864), fam. Noctuidae, P-no. 931419.77
Host plants: Feeds principally on oaks (Quercus spp.). Also reported on gum trees (Nyssa spp.).
Date found(s): September 17, 2026
Location(s) found: St. Louis County, MO
Notes: A visually similar and closely related species, Acronicta brumosa (charred dagger), has a single record (1913) from Missouri in the Heitzman database. The charred dagger is a more southerly species but does have more modern records from Arkansas, Oklahoma and southern Illinois. Larvae of the charred dagger can be distinguished from A. afflicta by the presence of two pairs of paddle-shaped dorsal setae per segment.

2026 Caterpillar Season – Turbulent Phosphila

2026 Caterpillar Season, insects, Lepidoptera, macro, wildlife, wildlife photography

Turbulent Phosphila
Phosphila turbulenta (Hübner, 1818), fam. Noctuidae, P-no. 932208
Host plants: Feeds only on greenbrier (Smilax spp.)
Date found(s): September 7, 2026
Location(s) found: Franklin County, MO
Notes: Despite their apparent warning coloration and their conspicuous nature of often feeding on top of their host’s leaves in broad daylight, it is unknown if turbulent phosphila caterpillars are protected from predators via chemical sequestration. They may simply be mimics, taking advantage of predator’s avoidance of black and white prey animals.

I found the group of gregarious early instars in southern Minnesota in June. Many thanks to Eva Wiedeman for finding and letting me photograph the later instar pictured here.

2026 Caterpillar Season – Dusky Groundling

2026 Caterpillar Season, Caterpillars of Tyson Research Center, insects, Lepidoptera, macro, wildlife, wildlife photography

Dusky Groundling
Condica vecors (Guenée, 1852), fam. Noctuidae, P-no. 931995
Host plants: Hosts on a variety of Asteraceae family members, seemingly especially fond of boneset (Eupatorium spp.).
Date found(s): September 7, 2026
Location(s) found: Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO
Notes: Caterpillars of this species spend their days blending in on the undersides of their host leaves. They are much more active and more easily found feeding at night.

2026 Caterpillar Season – Yellowhorns

2026 Caterpillar Season, insects, Lepidoptera, macro, wildlife, wildlife photography

Yellowhorns
Colocasia flavicornis (Smith, 1884) P-no. 931400; Colocasia propinquilinea (Grote, 1873) P-no. 931401; fam. Noctuidae
Host plants: In Missouri, I have found these on river birch (Betula nigra) and ironwood (Carpinus caroliniana). They have been recorded on other woody species, including oak, walnut, and elm.
Date found(s): September 7, 2026
Location(s) found: Ste Genevieve County, MO
Notes: The first couple of times I found Colocasia caterpillars I was confused. At first glance, these look to be young, weird versions of a Halysidota or other tufted caterpillars. Pay close attention to lash placement to distinguish these from other fuzzy potentials.

2026 Caterpillar Season – Pleasant Dagger

2026 Caterpillar Season, insects, Lepidoptera, macro, wildlife, wildlife photography

Pleasant Dagger
Acronicta laetifica (Smith, 1897), fam. Noctuidae, P-no. 931444
Host plants: Feeds solely on woody members of the Betulaceae family, namely musclewood (Carpinus caroliniana) and ironwood (Ostrya virginiana).
Date found(s): September 4, 2026
Location(s) found: Hawn State Park, Ste Genevieve County, MO
Notes: Host plant preferences for the pleasant dagger are not as cut and dry as many of our lepidopterans. Some authoritative sources, particularly historical references, list either hickory (Carya) or woody Rosaceae members as hosts. However, modern surveys have only found this species utilizing the above-mentioned members of the Betulaceae as hosts. It is unclear whether these discrepancies are related to changes in host preferences, or if previous documentation may refer to incorrectly identifying the moth species.

2026 Caterpillar Season – Long-winged Dagger

2026 Caterpillar Season, insects, Lepidoptera, macro, wildlife, wildlife photography

Long-winged Dagger
Acronicta longa (Guenée, 1852), fam. Noctuidae, P-no. 931485
Host plants: Reported feeding on woody species within nine plant families. In Missouri, I have found these on oak (Quercus spp.) and ash (Fraxinus spp.).
Date found(s): 22 August, 2026
Location(s) found: Meramec State Park, Franklin County, MO
Notes: Despite a species being considered a generalist across their range, individual lineages can be wildly picky eaters. In a rearing log documented on BugGuide, a citizen scientist hatched a clutch of A. longa eggs. Despite being surrounded by prime, classic host plants like oak (Quercus nigra) and cherry (Prunus sp.), the newly hatched caterpillars stubbornly refused to eat and began to starve. In a desperate last-ditch effort, the researcher offered them blueberry leaves (Vaccinium sp.). The caterpillars immediately devoured them, proving that while the species is a generalist, individual populations may dynamically “lock into” specific regional hosts.