"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
Harris’s Three-spot Harrisimemna trisignata fam. Noctuidae (Hodges#9286) Host plant: buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) Date found: ~16, Aug, 2025 Location found: Franklin County, MO Click here to see the adult moth Notes: Part spider and part bird dropping, this caterpillar is absolutely astounding. Note the empty head capsules that the caterpillar retains with each successive molt. It has been shown that these caterpillars use these to thrash at potential parasitoid wasps and flies that approach while attempting to deposit eggs on their would-be hosts.
Special thanks to Eva Wiedeman who found this individual in her neighborhood and brought it to our WGNSS fieldtrip at Council Bluff Lake. Photographing this caterpillar was a prime objective for me this season. Now I just need to find one on my own and hopefully a larger 4th instar!
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.
Eudryas gata (beautiful wood nymph)
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)
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.
Acronicta afflicta (afflicted dagger moth) fam. Noctuidae, hosts on oaks
It’s always a pleasure to find a fresh Dryocampa rubicunda (rosy maple moth)
Nadata gibbosa (white-dotted prominent)
Nadata gibbosa, the white-dotted prominent is a common Notodontid. We frequently find their caterpillars during our hunts on oak trees.
Plagodis alcoolaria (Hollow-spotted Plagodis)
Datana sp.
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.
Harrisimemna trisignata (Harris’s three-spot)
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.
Dynastes tityus (eastern Hercules beetle)
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.
Eacles imperialis (imperial moth)
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.
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.
Last month the WGNSS Nature Photography Group took a side trip back to one of our favorite places – the Roston Native Butterfly House in Springfield, MO. Among other fantastic native leps on display were adult and larval forms of Hyalophora cecropia, or the Cecropia Moth. Named after the legendary King Cecrops of Athens, H. cecropia is the largest moth native to North America. Thanks again to the Roston Butterfly House and to the great volunteers who staff the facility and put up with a bunch of old dudes with cameras.
Here are a couple from a birding hike that Miguel and I took along the Lost Valley Trail at Weldon Springs Conservation Area back in May. The light was harsh but the story unforgettable. We watched this adult pair take turns perching and soaring above the treetops. Eventual the female called in the male that resulted in a few matings. On the last one we watched, this juvenile came in to their tree to try and break it up. Eventually the male lost his patience and went after the juvenile. I’m not sure if this might be their chick from last year or an unrelated individual.
Mississippi Kites at Weldon Spring C.A.
Right before “dad” had to dish out some punishment
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.
I did not take a lot of video footage during my brief time at the nest, but I did get some interesting enough footage to put the following together. Available in 4K on YouTube. Enjoy!
I processed all of these, so I might as well share them. This is the remainder of the images from the second day I spent photographing the Eastern Kingbird nest at Logger’s Lake.
A few of my favorites of the Eastern Kingbird nest photographed at Logger’s Lake.
This first batch consists of the begging brood with a parent sitting nearby, usually just after delivering an insect. These guys never stopped their food response. If a parent was in sight, they were begging.
Immediately after dropping off a meal.
I was surprised to find that the parents would sometimes bring in berries to feed the brood. I do not know which species the berries came from.
Just as automatic as the begging response, nearly every instance of a parent bringing a food item, one of the young would present the adult with a fecal pellet. The parent would usually wait and watch for this event and be ready to grab it as it was being eliminated. It then would take it away from the nest to be disposed, assumedly as part of a predator defense strategy.
A parent decided to meet the other parent on its perch to take the prey item back to the nest itself.
One of the chicks exercising its wings.
Here the chicks are gaping, not as a begging response to a parent bringing in food, but as a cooling method as the sun is in position to shine down directly on the nest.
A Thousand Acres of Silphiums 