Tag: WGNSS

2026 Caterpillar Season – Abbott’s Sphinx

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

Abbott’s Sphinx
Sphecodina abbottii (Swainson, 1821)P-no. 890192, fam. Sphingidae
Host plant: Found on wild grape (Vitus sp.)
Dates found: 27 June, 2026
Locations found: Pinewoods Lake Recreation Area, Carter County, MO
Notes: The ultimate instar presents an eerie, hyper-realistic “eyespot” complete with an iris, pupil, and even a white catchlight reflection. Along with the scale-like pattern, it becomes an apt snake mimic. If a predator comes too close, the caterpillar will lash, squeak, and try to bite its attacker. While this larval form makes a great interpretation of a snake, the diurnal adult phase makes a great bee mimic, including yellow patches on its hind wings. When at rest, the moth folds in its hind wings, leaving it perfectly camouflaged against the bark of a tree.

2026 Caterpillar Season – Eastern Tailed-blue

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

Eastern tailed-blue
Cupido comyntas (Godart, 1824) P-no. 77a0638, fam. Lycaenidae
Host plant: Found on wild indigo (Baptisia sp.)
Dates found: 20 June, 2026
Locations found: Victoria Glade Conservation Area, Jefferson County, MO
Notes: A tiny, beautiful, and common butterfly that is often seen in suburban backyards, the eastern tailed-blue (ETB for short) is not a caterpillar that I have had luck in finding. Finally, on an outing with the WGNSS’ Nature Photography Group in June, I found one of these on a wild indigo plant within the glade. I never expected a lycaenid caterpillar to be such a challenging photo subject. This guy was healthy and mobile, rarely settling down to get the desired photo.

Mating Harvestmen

macro, WGNSS Field Trips, wildlife, wildlife photography

During a WGNSS Entomology Group trip in September of last year, we were thrilled to come across a mating pair of Leiobunum vittatum (eastern harvestmen) at Caney Mountain Conservation Area. In some of the photos below, you can see the male handing off his prenuptial gift to the female. Prenuptial gifts are produced by the males and consist of a mix of essential amino acids. Mating behaviors in harvestmen are complex and vary wildly between taxa. Unfortunately, these guys were among thick scrub that made for difficult photography. I tried my best to capture some of this behavior.

First look at mating eastern harvestmen. Smaller male at back/left.
A closer look shows what I presume to be a prenuptial gift being handed off to the female at front/right.
Another look at mating embrace of Leiobunum vittatum (eastern harvestmen).

2025 Caterpillar Season – Humped Oakworm

2025 Caterpillar Season, insects, Lepidoptera, macro, WGNSS Field Trips, wildlife, wildlife photography

Humped Oakworm Moth
Symmerista sp. fam. Notodontidae
Host plant(s): Found on oak (Quercus sp.)
Date(s) and location(s): 18 September, 2025 – Council Bluff Lake, Iron County, MO; 27-September, 2025 – Caney Mountain Conservation Area, Ozark County, MO
Notes: Caterpillars of S. canicosta (red-humped oakworm) and S. albifrons (white-headed prominent) are indistinguishable as larvae and are so similar as adults that the only way to distinguish the two is by dissecting the genitalia. Both species are found in Missouri and both feed on the same host plants – beech, chestnut and oaks (any members of the Fagaceae).

Council Bluff Lake Lepidopterans – The Adults

insects, Lepidoptera, macro, WGNSS Field Trips, wildlife, wildlife photography

Going back to the August 16th WGNSS trip to Council Bluff Lake. After a day (and night) of caterpillar hunting, a couple of us set up light stations to attract nocturnal insects. Here are a few of the moths that I photographed from this evening.

Erebidae

Allotria elonympha (false underwing Hodges#8721)

Geometridae

Euchlaena amoenaria (deep yellow euchlaena, Hodges#6733)

Noctuidae

Acronicta immodica (medium oak dagger. Hodges#9242.1)
Acronicta lobeliae (greater oak dagger, Hodges#9238)

Click here to see photos of the greater oak dagger caterpillar

Chytonix palliatricula (cloaked marvel, Hodges#9556)
Polygrammate hebraeicum (The Hebrew, Hodges#9285)

Click here to see photos of the Hebrew caterpillar

Acronicta funeralis (funerary dagger/paddle caterpillar, Hodges#9221)

Click here to see photos of the paddle caterpillar (final instar)
Click here to see photos of the paddle caterpillar (mid-instar)

Notodontidae

Cecrita biundata (wavy-lined prominent, Hodges#7995)
Furcula borealis (white furcula, Hodges#7936)

Saturniidae

Antheraea polyphemus (polyphemus moth, Hodges#7757)

Click here to see a photo of the caterpillar of the polyphemus moth caterpillar

Sphingidae

Darapsa myron (Virginia creeper sphinx, Hodges#7885)

Click here to see a photo of the Virginia creeper sphinx moth caterpillar

2025 Caterpillar Season – Tufted Bird Dropping Moth

2025 Caterpillar Season, insects, Lepidoptera, macro, WGNSS Field Trips, wildlife, wildlife photography

Tufted Bird Dropping Moth
Cerma cerintha fam. Noctuidae (Hodges#9062)
Host plant: Host plant not recorded but species is known to feed on Rosaceae Family members
Date found: 16, Aug,, 2025
Location found: Council Bluff Lake, Iron County, MO
Notes: As should be obvious by the common name, the adults of this moth are bird dropping mimics. These caterpillars tunnel into soft wood at the end of the season where they overwinter as a pupa.

2025 Caterpillar Season – Red-washed Prominent

2025 Caterpillar Season, insects, Lepidoptera, macro, WGNSS Field Trips, wildlife, wildlife photography

Red-washed Prominent
Oligocentria semirufescens fam. Notodontidae (Hodges#8012)
Host plant: Found on redbud (Cercis canadensis)
Date found: 16, Aug, 2025
Location found: Council Bluff Lake, Iron County, MO
Notes: This was found during the WGNSS joint Entomology and Nature Photography Groups’ outing to Council Bluff Lake.

2025 Caterpillar Season – Cherry Dagger

2025 Caterpillar Season, insects, Lepidoptera, macro, WGNSS Field Trips, wildlife, wildlife photography

Cherry Dagger
Acronicta hasta fam. Noctuidae (Hodges#9229)
Host plant: Two individuals at different instars were found at this location and date – both on black cherry (Prunus serotina)
Date found: 16, Aug, 2025
Location found: Council Bluff Lake, Iron County, MO
Notes: This was found during the WGNSS joint Entomology and Nature Photography Groups’ outing to Council Bluff Lake.

2025 Caterpillar Season – Imperial Moth

2025 Caterpillar Season, insects, Lepidoptera, macro, WGNSS Field Trips, wildlife, wildlife photography

Imperial Moth
Eacles imperialis fam. Saturniidae (Hodges#7704)
Host plant: Three individuals found at this date and location: 2-redbud (Cercis canadensis), 1-sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
Date found: 16, Aug, 2025
Location found: Council Bluff Lake, Iron County, MO
Notes: This was found during the WGNSS joint Entomology and Nature Photography Groups’ outing to Council Bluff Lake.

2025 Caterpillar Season – The Hebrew

2025 Caterpillar Season, insects, Lepidoptera, macro, WGNSS Field Trips, wildlife, wildlife photography

The Hebrew
Polygrammate hebraeicum fam. Noctuidae (Hodges#9285)
Host plant: black gum (Nyssa sylvatica)
Date found: 16, Aug, 2025
Location found: Council Bluff Lake, Iron County, MO
Notes: Common and specific names come from apparent resemblance of adult moth’s pattern to Hebrew characters. This was found during the WGNSS joint Entomology and Nature Photography Groups’ outing to Council Bluff Lake.