Sallows & Other Moths

Over the past few weeks in the evenings, whenever I turn the porch lights on, sallow moths gather.
They flutter near the screen door, and along the wall--some station themselves in little seams in the wood paneling, others perch there as if frozen into the light.

The most common is Bicolored Sallow (Sunira bicolorago). Several arrive every warm evening, little swarms of orangish yellow edged in a thin purple. As many as twenty or so zone in on the light by the front door. Two Octobers ago, I saw more than fifty, an outright crazy swirl of them that would hurdle and joust about, when I would get close. But mostly these moths just wait there, owned by the light.

A few other sallows have graced the wall:

Footpath Sallow (Metaxaglaea semitaria)
Battered Sallow (Sunira verberata)
Three-spotted Sallow (Eupsilia tristigmata)

A few other species of sallows have visited too, but I haven't keyed them out.

Other moths in the last few evenings:

Implicit Arches (Lacinipolia implicata)
Armyworm Moth (Pseudaletia unipuncta)

And likewise, several that I can't identify.

For most of October, I felt a special joy in seeing Rose Hooktip Moths (Oreta rosea). It is a favorite, a rather muted orangish rose color with a few darker lines, and of course the wings have a wonderful hook at the wingtips...at least that's the color pattern of the ones resting on the wall and screen door, up to six or seven on more than one evening.

I will have to start focusing a camera at them, or sketching some pictures and share those some time in the future. Right now, you can visit many wonderful moth web sites...I like the moth photo pages of Bob Patterson, and others at the moth photographers group web site....

http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/


I don't like to leave lights on very long, extra on electric bill, but more I think it disrupts their moth schedules. They should be foraging, flitting, courting, mating, ovipositing etc., not hunkered at my house, mesmerized and captured by porch lights. I turn the lights off soon as everyone is home from their evening travels.

What moths are you all finding these November nights?