mollymjacobson's Journal
Hello all! I want to thank you for adding your observations to the project - we are up to 65 species so far, with more to come. I (Molly) am in the process of compiling our species list, and will continue to upload my observations to the project, so keep checking back over the next couple weeks! My hope is to have a final tally by the end of the month, which I will send out to everyone via email and here on iNat.
Hello everyone! I am currently doing a study investigating the insect visitors to swamp rose mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) in the northeast, in locations where its specialist pollinator Ptilothrix bombiformis is absent. I just wrapped up fieldwork and after many hours of observation across multiple states not many insect visitors were observed (which did not really surprise me given what I knew coming into this research question).
If anyone in New England or non-NYC New York, or even other locations where Ptilothrix is not present, could observe and post any insects (particularly bees, butterflies, flies, wasps, beetles besides the common hibiscus seed weevils) visiting swamp rose mallow flowers, that would be of value to my study. Swamp rose mallow is a wetland plant commonly found along freshwater and brackish marsh and pond margins, especially coastally. It has very large flowers that can be pink or white, with or without red centers. It is rare in much of northern New England but becomes more common in Massachusetts and southward. Ptilothrix bombiformis is a large (about honeybee-sized) bee that resembles a bumblebee and when present is generally the primary visitor to swamp rose mallow. If it's at a site you'll probably know it.
Please tag me in your posts, and use the observation field "Interaction -> Visiting Flower of: Hibiscus moscheutos" that will allow me to sort and filter all of the sightings. Any additional notes about whether the insect was there for pollen (collecting from the fluffy anthers) or nectar (sticking its head into the very base of the flower) is also very helpful.
Insects appear to only infrequently visit this flower so the more observations from more locations, the more complete picture we will have of the potential pollinators of this plant. Thanks!
Greetings all! The final moth tally for our blacklighting event has finally arrived! Our species count was... 73!! That's quite a respectable number.
I primarily utilized my own photos from that night for identification, and then added any further species from the project which were Research Grade. Several additional species have been posted to the project by attendees with IDs that still need verification; I went through these and any that could be confirmed with reasonable certainty were added to the list. Any moth experts on iNat are welcome to add their feedback to this list and the sightings in this project, as we want our tally to be as accurate as possible. Some taxa could not be taken to the species level; they are reported to the lowest level possible.
I am still in the process of uploading photos of these species to the project. I likely won't include them all, as some photos were out of focus, etc.
I highly recommend that you view the version of the species list sent out to event participants via email. That is a pdf with some photos and additional information about host plants.
Cherry Shoot Borer - Argyresthia oreasella
(no common name) Glyphidocera septentrionella
Hollow-spotted Blepharomastix - Blepharomastix ranalis
Double-banded Grass-veneer - Crambus agitatellus
Small White Grass-veneer - Crambus albellus
Grape Leaffolder - Desmia funeralis complex
Julia's Dicymolomia - Dicymolomia julianalis
Black Duckweed Moth - Elophila tinealis
Serpentine Webworm - Herpetogramma aeglealis
grass moth sp. - Herpetogramma pertextalis/aquilonalis
Elegant Grass-Veneer - Microcrambus elegans
Basswood Leafroller - Pantographa limata
Sooty Scoparia - Scoparia cinereomedia
looper sp. - Caenurgina sp.
Little White Lichen Moth - Clemensia albata
Virginia Ctenucha - Ctenucha virginica
Visitation Moth - Dyspyralis illocata
Confused Haploa - Haploa confusa
Painted Lichen Moth - Hypoprepia fucosa
Common Idia - Idia aemula
White-spotted Redectis - Redectis vitrea
litter moth sp. - Renia sp.
(most likely) Wavy-lined Fanfoot - Zanclognatha cf.jacchusalis
(most likely) Variable Fanfoot - Zanclognatha cf.laevigata
Shining Dichomeris - Dichomeris ochripalpella
twirler moth sp. - Gelechiini sp.
Gray Spruce Looper - Caripeta divisata
Faint-spotted Angle - Digrammia ocellinata
Small Phoenix - Ecliptopera silaceata
Snowy Geometer - Eugonobapta nivosaria
grapevine looper sp. - Eulithis diversilineata/gracilineata
Common Pug - Eupithecia miserulata
Three-spotted Fillip - Heterophleps triguttaria
Unadorned Carpet - Hydrelia inornata
Single-dotted Wave - Idaea dimidiata
Barred Granite - Macaria subcessaria
Canadian Melanolophia - Melanolophia canadaria
Pale Metanema - Metanema inatomaria
Straight-lined Plagodis - Plagodis phlogosaria
Large Maple Spanworm - Prochoerodes lineola
Porcelain Gray - Protoboarmia porcelaria
Large Lace-border - Scopula limboundata
White-striped Black - Trichodezia albovittata
leaf blotch miner sp. - Cameraria sp.
Eastern Tent Caterpillar Moth - Malacosoma americana
Forest Tent Caterpillar Moth - Malacosoma disstria
Yellow-shouldered Slug Moth - Lithacodes fasciola
Red-crossed Button Slug Moth - Tortricidia pallida
pygmy leafminer sp. - Stigmella sp.
Green Arches - Anaplectoides prasina
dart sp. - Diarsia sp.
Green Leuconycta - Leuconycta diphteroides
Large Yellow Underwing - Noctua pronuba
Large Mossy Glyph - Protodeltote muscosula
Small Brown Quaker - Pseudorthodes vecors
(most likely) Dusky Silver Y - cf. Syngrapha octoscripta
Northern Finned Prominent - Notodonta torva
prominent sp. - Oedemasia semirufescens/concinna
Chocolate Prominent - Peridea ferruginea
Orange-headed Epicallima - Epicallima argenticinctella
Eupatorium Plume Moth - Oidaematophorus eupatorii
Waved Sphinx - Ceratomia undulosa
Small-eyed Sphinx - Paonias myops
Skunkback Monopis - Monopis dorsistrigella
(most likely) Forbes' Acleris - Acleris cf.forbesana
Omnivorous Leafroller - Archips purpurana
Spring Spruce Needle Moth - Archips packardiana
Red-banded Leafroller - Argyrotaenia velutinana
Garden Tortrix - Clepsis peritana
White-spotted Hedya - Hedya chionosema
Derelict Perochrista - Pelochrista derelicta
Exasperating Platynota - Platynota exasperatana
tortricid sp. - Olethreutini sp.: Olethreutes auricapitana, O. nr. auricapitana, or Pristerognatha agilana*
*This individual generated quite a bit of interest and was among the most showy. However there are several nearly inseparable species that would require genitalia pulling or DNA barcoding to ID, so I was not able to narrow it down beyond these possible three. Still, what a beautiful moth!
Thank you again to all who participated in our event. We hope to hold more of these in the future. You can create habitat for our native moths in your own backyard by landscaping and gardening with New York native plants. Trees, such as oaks, cherries, willows, and maples, host the greatest diversity of caterpillars, so plant some if you have the space - but all groups of native plants, from flowers to ferns, have caterpillar value. Native wildflowers provide nectar for many moths as well. Those caterpillars will either metamorphose into the moths we see at our lights, or become critical food for other animals like songbird chicks, maintaining the health of whole ecosystems. We can all play our part to support these wonderful insects and by extension, New York's biodiversity.
Learn more about gardening with insects in mind and the connections between insects, plants, and birds, in Doug Tallamy's foundational book, Bringing Nature Home.
Hello new and returning members of the ESF community! We hope you've enjoyed your summer break, whether it was spent in Syracuse or far afield. Now is a great time to check out the ways campus may have changed since you last saw it, with the new plantings that have been installed this spring and summer, and the new signage that will be forthcoming for those plantings. In our Bray pollinator garden, the fall flowers are beginning to bloom, setting the stage for a suite of late season pollinators. On the quad, our herb garden is open to all to pick and enjoy. So get out - especially if you're a new student - and explore campus!
Plus, check out the results from our public moth blacklighting event at Heiberg Forest, held in July:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/esf-heiberg-forest-moth-night
Our events are gauged by student and community interest - if there's something you want to see, let us know!
Bee Campus also has many events happening in September, including two plantings that will need student volunteers. Keep up to date with the latest news on ESF Engage and the Sustainability Office instagram!
