280 days of Urbpandemonium #145

I asked for an identification for this one on the Mothing in Massachusetts Facebook group, and who should answer, but coolbugs! Her answer was, "It's either yellow-fringed Dolichomia (Dolichomia olinalis*) or the one that looks just like [it]." When I dug a little deeper on that, I realized that she meant that this moth could be the very similar looking moth by the common name clover hayworm. Also, I discovered that Bugguide was calling the "yellow-fringed Dolichomia" by a new scientific name Hypsopygia olinalis**. Coolbugs, an experienced insect identifier who has memorized hundreds of scientific names, replied "blerg." I feel that.

For what it's worth, the subtle characters of the moth's coloring made another commenter suggest that olinalis was the proper identification. Both species are found in our area, but the larva of the hayworm feeds on dried vegetation (makes sense) while the "Dolichomia" larva feeds on oak.

* The light, long one

** High-assed light one

280 days of Urbpandemonium #146

As a novice mothwatcher, I've learned a couple things. One is that moths that rest with their wings out wide and flat like this one are usually collected into Geometridae*. That means that their larvae are inchworms, measuring the world with their bodies, from proleg (soft rear appendages) to true leg (chitinous jointed appendages). Bugguide tells me that this lovely moth is in the genus Macaria**.

* Earth-measuring family

** Generic epithet Macaria is from Greek mythology, the daughter of Hercules.

280 days of Urbpandemonium #147

Certain members of the moth night event decided this was a battle scarred female warrior, battered but not beaten. They weren't wrong, as far as I can tell. She has that Geometridae wing posture that I mentioned with the last moth I posted. At this point I can say yes, it's a female and yes, she's a Geometrid. I'll even go so far as to agree with the expert who said she's Besma quercivoraria*, since that looks right to me. Battle-scarred? Perhaps. Something bit the crap out of her left hindwing, and here she is at our moth light, making me wonder what she is--that's a kind of victory.

* I can't for the life of me figure out what "besma" means. I'll throw it out to the entomologists, librarians, and language scholars who are reading this. The rest of it means "she eats oak." Sure, why not?