June 13 was a banner pre-dawn morning for mothing in Carroll County. The most spectacular first-of-the-year moth was a Polyphemus, Antheraea polyphemus. Here are two views, ventral and dorsal.
The best moth of the pre-dawn period was a small one that looks like a wasp. It's a Sesiid, a group of clear-winged borer moths. Synanthedon acerni is one of the few Sesiids that come to a light. Most have to be lured with pheromones. According to lepidopterists, S. acerni is a complex of species that have yet to be sorted out. In the meantime the current ID tag will do.
The best moth of the pre-dawn period was a small one that looks like a wasp. It's a Sesiid, a group of clear-winged borer moths. Synanthedon acerni is one of the few Sesiids that come to a light. Most have to be lured with pheromones. According to lepidopterists, S. acerni is a complex of species that have yet to be sorted out. In the meantime the current ID tag will do.
