Sep. 7th, 2013

urbpan: (dandelion)
 photo IMG_3108_zps301802b1.jpg

This moth was attracted to the porch light, then slipped past the threshold to the kitchen wall. I caught it up and chucked it outside.

The chances are really good that this is the "dingy cutworm moth," an unkind name for a lovely little animal. The larva is distinguished from its close relatives by being darker and less well-patterned, thus "dingy." The adult looks enough like its close relatives that even the entomosnobs at bugguide declare "Species identification a bit difficult."

There are four lookalikes that are possible visitors to my yard, including the awesomely named "subgothic dart." Alas, I'll let this one go by as Feltia sp., unidentified dart moth, and wait for something to knock my socks off (or at least have a firmer identification) for the penultimate species in my 100 species project.
EDITED TO ADD: I should hold out for a better picture, too. Yeesh.

(Cutworms are caterpillars that eat young plants, cutting them at the soil level, like this one.)
urbpan: (dandelion)
 photo IMG_3123_zpsbb92b627.jpg
Let a zoo yard go unmowed for a summer and this is what you get*. Ragweed as tall as a short man. This might be part of the reason I spent 3/4 of August as a snot faucet. Here it's gone to seed, so I could stomp around in it without anaphylaxis.

 photo IMG_3140_zpsdaf7b1af.jpg
I haven't decided whether it's a drawback or an advantage that the new steer has light colored hair that shows off the many stable flies that are feeding on his legs.


*Results may vary. Other unmowed yards end up full of stinging nettles, burdock, or mugwort, and eventually turn into Ailanthus/mulberry groves.

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