Magnificent Moths!

I had the good fortune to join a small crew of lovely folks at the Guelph Arboretum a few nights ago for some spirited mothing.  I was amazed to learn that over 600 moth species have been observed at The Arboretum alone, and when we delved into the identification of them I was instantly hooked by the new challenge!

For the uninitiated, mothing involves the attracting of nocturnal moths using UV lights, moth bait (comprised of rotting fruit and beer) and sometimes, though not on this occasion, pheromones.  Attracting them is easy - figuring out what they are is a whole different story!

Many of the moths we attracted were tiny, but there was a fair number of big ones too (definitely more interesting to a neophyte like me, and easier to photograph too!).  I grabbed a handful of photos - here is a small selection:

The Herald (Scoliopteryx libatrix) - moths have great names!

Pale Beauty (Campaea perlata) - a common sight by the porch light.

Pink-spotted Dart (Pseudohermonassa bicarnea) - I think, anyway...

Baltimore Snout (Hypena baltimoralis) - an appropriate moniker.

The Bride (Catocala neogama) - big and beautiful, enjoying some rotted fruit and beer.

In between checking for adult moths, we searched for some young guns:

Beautiful Wood-Nymph (Eudryas grata)

That's all for now!
Kyle