"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
Yes! In what is likely one of the last good weekends of the 2024 season, the WGNSS Nature Photography Group headed back to Kaintuck Hollow where we found this final instar Acronicta funeralis (paddle caterpillar/funerary dagger), Noctuidae, feeding on Acer negundo (box elder). I recently shared photos of this species in one of its mid-instars.
Acronicta funeralis (paddle caterpillar/funerary dagger) final instar larvae in the typical “J pose,” often seen when they are resting or disturbed.
We have maybe one or two good weekends left for this season so maybe we’ll find something else. Either way, I’m preparing my list for hopeful species to find next season.
Acronicta funeralis (paddle caterpillar/funerary dagger) final instar larvae
Today’s caterpillar is an interesting species from an obscure family – Thyrididae, or window-winged moths. Pseudothyris sepulchralis (mournful thyris) is sharp looking as a caterpillar as well as an adult moth. This species is a specialist on greenbriers (Smilax sp.) and this individual was found rolled in a Smilax leaf about head-high at Kaintuck Hollow in Phelps County, MO in mid-July.
Today’s featured caterpillar is the Noctuid, Ogdoconta cinereola, or “common pinkband groundling.” This one was found in early July at St. Francois State Park on wingstem (Verbesina).
Tonight’s caterpillar is a member of the Crambidae family – Saucrobotys futilalis, or the “dogbane saucrobotys moth.” The host for this species is the namesake dogbane (Apocynum species) and they can also feed on milkweeds (Asclepias species). I found these pretty easy to find in mid to late July at Don Robinson State Park by simply looking for their web nests within dogbane plants. There were usually several cats within each nest and a little beating of the plants could get quite a few tumbling out.
Saucrobotys futilalis (dogbane saucrobotys moth)
I find the Latin binomial for this one to be pretty entertaining. Saucro, coming from the Greek for graceful, pretty and beauty, along with botys, the genus to which this moth was originally ascribed. While, on the other hand, the specific futilalis seems to come from the Latin futilis, meaning brittle, vain, or worthless. Taxonomic nomenclature can be confusing and is often steeped in history (this species was described in 1863), but I find this grouping to be pretty entertaining.
I’m pleased to say I found a “holy grail” caterpillar species this year. Unfortunately, at the time, I did not know what I had found. On July 13th, while searching right off a parking lot at Huzzah Conservation Area in Crawford County, MO, I found this smallish bird poop mimic caterpillar. I knew I had seen this one in photos before, but on this day I had left my field guides at home and I was in an area with absolutely no cell phone coverage.
Mid instar of Acronicta funeralis (paddle caterpillar)
After getting back home, I identified this as a member of the Noctuidae family – Acronicta funeralis, aka the paddle caterpillar. It gets its common name from the paired paddlelike subdorsal setae that are present on the final instar of the caterpillar. I really wish I had known what I had found at the time. I would have brought this guy home to rear in order to get photos of the final instar of this cat. This species is rare enough that it might be the one and only that I find, but I think if I try hard enough, others will come in time.
Mid instar of Acronicta funeralis (paddle caterpillar)
Today’s cat is in the Pyralidae family. It is most likely Pococera expandens (double-humped pococera moth), but with at least 27 species in this genus and many of which that feed on oak, upon which this one was found, other species could be an option. This guy was photographed in early July during a WGNSS Nature Photography field trip at Prairie Garden Trust in Calloway County, MO.
I posted about the hackberry emperor (Asterocampa celtis) caterpillar last month. Today’s cat is also found on hackberry (Celtis sp.) trees, but are far less common. Here is the tawny emperor (A. clyton) photographed at Shaw Nature Reserve in July.
In late June I went out for an evening caterpillar hunt at Young Conservation Area. I was in for a real treat. The pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor) caterpillars were on the move! Along with several dozen smaller instars munching away on the pipevine draped above my head along the trail, I also encountered close to two dozen final instar cats that were in various states. I found quite a few crossing the trails, some that were prepupal and also a few chrysalises that were attached to various plant species ranging from one to a few feet above the ground.
A pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor) caterpillar setting up to pupate on a stem of Chasmanthium latifolium.
Sometimes it seemed they picked poor locations to pupate, like this one that chose the dangling petiole of a dehisced leaf.
A prepupal cat that has anchored to support itself in its upcoming metamorphosis.
And finally, a recently finished chrysalis of the pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor). In 10 – 20 days the adult butterfly will emerge.
Friends and I had a couple of really fun blacklighting sessions at Engelmann Woods Natural Area in June and July. Neither evening was as great as it could be but each was definitely worth the time and mosquito bites. Here are just a few of the fascinating arthropods that came to visit.
Slug moths (Family Limacodidae) are often the first to arrive at the sheets. We found a couple of adults and I was quite surprised to find a pretty late-stage purple crested slug (Adoneta spinuloides) larvae in late June. Typically, any slug moth cats are very small if you can find any at all in early summer.
We had very nice diversity in underwing moths (Eribidae Catocala sp.). I believe we had identified six different species over the two nights. Here are a few of these.
We had only a single sphinx moth that would settle down for some photo opportunities. This is the common but still interesting Virginia creeper sphinx (Darapsa myron).
Darapsa myron (Virginia creeper sphinx)
Probably my favorite find from these two nights was this Euerythra phasma (red-tailed specter) in the Family Erebidae.
Of course, it really isn’t a blacklighting night without at least a couple of Saturniids. One of the highlights of our July night was having five imperial moths (Eacles imperialis) all show up at once shortly after I fired up the big metal halide bulb.
Eacles imperialis (imperial moth)
Dryocampa rubicunda (rosy maple moth)Dryocampa rubicunda (rosy maple moth)
I’ll wrap up the moths with a couple of colorful little one.
Pantographa limata (basswood leafroller) F. Crambidae
Lactura pupula (bumelia leafworm moth) F. Lacturidae
Of course we find other types of insects that are drawn to our lights, including these three species of Cerambycid beetles.
Thankfully this stag beetle wasn’t too serious about biting us.
Lucanus capreolus
We found three species of mantid flies (Mantispidae). Unfortunately, I neglected to photograph the rarest of these.
Dicromantispa interruptaZeugomantispa minuta
This wraps up most of the first couple of blacklighting sessions of the season. I hope to get a few more in before the season is over. Thanks for visiting.
A Thousand Acres of Silphiums 