"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
Virginia Creeper Sphinx
Darapsa myron fam. Sphingidae (Hodges#7885)
Host plant: Found on grape species (Vitis sp.)
Dates found: 31 August, 2025
Locations found: Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO
Notes:
Definite Tussock Moth
Orgyia definita fam. Erebidae (Hodges#8314)
Host plant: Found on sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)
Dates found: 01 September, 2025
Locations found: Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO
Notes: This species range seems to weirdly stop in extreme eastern Missouri based on official collection records as well as online databases like iNaturalist and BAMONA. I wonder if this species might be more abundant in the state than the data suggests, mainly by the numbers I have found during the past two years.
Tonight’s caterpillars are a few nondescript species of Herpetogramma (Family Crambidae) typically referred to as webworms. Most Herpetogramma feed on grasses, but the individuals I found this year feed on dicots or ferns. These guys are leaftiers that can be found easily by looking for the leaf shelters that they tie together with silk. So far I have been unable to find known associations between these species and hosts, nor visual characteristics that help to identify these larvae to species. Please let me know if you can enlighten me.
This species was found in considerable numbers at Tyson Research Center in August and were hosting on wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia).
The next species is really special as it represents one of the very few species of Lepidoptera that feed on ferns.
This next one was found at Loggers Lake in July. We found this on an unrecorded aster in a simple folder leaf shelter.
Sycamore Tussock Moth
Halysidota harrisii fam. Erebidae (Hodges#8204)
Host plant: Found on sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)
Dates found: 23 August, 2025
Locations found: Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO
Notes: A specialist that feeds solely on sycamore.
Polyphemus Moth
Antheraea polyphemus fam. Saturniidae (Hodges#7757)
Host plant: Found on red oak species (Quercus sp.)
Dates found: 30 August, 2025
Locations found: Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO
Notes: While the caterpillars are polyphagous, feeding on a variety of woody species, adults of this moth do not feed.
Stinging Rose Caterpillar Moth
Parasa indetermina fam. Limacodidae (Hodges#4699)
Host plant: Found on sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
Date found: 31 August, 2025
Location found: Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO
Notes: One of our larger limacodids, this species caterpillars can be up to 2.5 cm long.
Yellow-collared Slug Moth
Apoda y-inversum fam. Limacodidae (Hodges#4667)
Host plant: Found on black walnut (Juglans nigra)
Date found: 31 August, 2025
Location found: Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO
Notes: These photos show a mid-instar caterpillar with stinging setae that are absent in final instars.
American Dagger Moth
Acronicta americana fam. Noctuidae (Hodges#9200)
Host plant: Found on redbud (Cercis canadensis)
Date found: 31 August, 2025
Location found: Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO
Notes: A highly polyphagous species recorded hosting on woody plant species in 16 families.
Walnut Sphinx
Amorpha juglandis fam. Sphingidae (Hodges#7827)
Host plant: Found on hickory (Carya sp.)
Date found: 6, 13, September, 2025
Location found: Babler State Park, Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO
Notes: This is the only species of this genus in North America.
Double-lined Prominent
Lochmaeus bilineata fam. Notodontidae (Hodges#7999)
Host plant: Found on elm (Ulmus sp.)
Date found: 23, August, 2025
Location found: Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO
Notes: Technically, I should label this one as Lochmaeus sp. because L. bilineata and L. manteo (variable oakleaf caterpillar) cannot be distinguished as larvae. However, host plants are a good indicator. Lochmaeus bilineata prefers elms and basswood, while L. manteo prefers oaks. It is unclear whether reports of L. bilineata from oaks are from erroneously identified L. manteo or not.
A Thousand Acres of Silphiums 