Colorado Camping Vacation

My wife and I made a camping excursion to the Vallecito area of s.w. Colorado, August 7-15, to momentarily get out of the Texas heat. (A great many Texans were apparently doing the same thing!) I’ll have many observations to upload including a boat-load of plants from NM and CO. I thought I’d start with the “low-hanging fruit”: I put up a moth sheet in the Forest Service campground at Vallecito on three evenings and had good results. In all, I probably documented something just shy of 100 species of moths. The first uploads will exhibit some of the more recognizable macromoths such as the few dozen species of Geometrids that showed up. There will also be a rather bewildering array of dark mottled Noctuids and many small grayish micros. The habitat at our campsite (7900 ft elevation) was Ponderosa Pine-Douglas Fir forest with some understory of Aspen and Gambel’s Oak. We were close to a steep mountain slope with much Blue Spruce, Limber Pine and a variety of understory plants.

Identifying these moths from the Rockies is just good brain exercise. Here is the full array of observations in NM and CO from this vacation.

Posted on Αύγουστος 20, 2020 0330 ΜΜ by gcwarbler gcwarbler

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 12, 2020 09:53 ΜΜ CDT

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One of the more distinctive moths to show up on my sheet at Vallecito Campground.
n = 1

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 9, 2020 08:57 ΜΜ CDT

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 9, 2020 10:01 ΜΜ CDT

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 10, 2020 10:06 ΜΜ CDT

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 9, 2020 10:15 ΜΜ CDT

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This is the closest match I can come up with among many similar species. In particular, the shape of the AM bands and the brown subterminal shading appear to point to this species.
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=7194

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 9, 2020 10:10 ΜΜ CDT

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A key character separating G. minima from others in the genus is supposedly the lack of brown shading on the basal side of the AM line, but that is belied by many/most online images of the species. The shading is less obvious than other species, but it is clearly present.
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=6783

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 12, 2020 09:58 ΜΜ CDT

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The heavy dark shading on this examples seems to place it squarely with Gabriola regularia which occurs in nearby NM and AZ, but I can't find CO records of the species. I may be off here.
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=6785

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 10, 2020 09:57 ΜΜ CDT

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Moths of the genus Galenara were among the most common Geometrids on the moth sheet each night. The patterns are dark and somewhat obscure and just enough variable that identification to species is a bit tricky with my lack of experience with the genus. I'm uploading several individuals in separate observations for each night of mothing. Most appear likely to be either G. lallata, or less likely G. stenomacra, two species known to occur in SW Colorado.
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=6628

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 12, 2020 09:06 ΜΜ CDT

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 12, 2020 11:12 ΜΜ CDT

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 12, 2020 09:59 ΜΜ CDT

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This one might better be left at genus level but among several southwestern species, this seems the best match.
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=6905

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 10, 2020 09:52 ΜΜ CDT

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This very distinctive Geometrid was among the more conspicuous and common species on the sheet. There were 2 to 6 of these each evening.
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=7000

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 9, 2020 10:25 ΜΜ CDT

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 12, 2020 09:11 ΜΜ CDT

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 9, 2020 10:08 ΜΜ CDT

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I haven't worked too hard at trying to pin this down to species. Anyone want to give it a try??

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 9, 2020 10:07 ΜΜ CDT

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I think I've properly placed this reddish brown Geometrid. My two images represent two different individuals on the same night, one of which was hiding at the base of a rock. Compare with the Jim Vargo example on MPG:
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=6695
and a number of examples on BG:
https://bugguide.net/node/view/1420491/bgimage
There is quite a range of ground color exhibited in the uploaded images placed as this species, ranging from dark gray to reddish brown. I am assuming they are all properly identified.

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 9, 2020 10:06 ΜΜ CDT

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I can't settle on what this Geometrid might be, but I think it is within the Ennominae subfamily and probably in this tribe.

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 9, 2020 10:18 ΜΜ CDT

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 10, 2020 09:03 ΜΜ CDT

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I was trying to pigeon-hole this moth into one of the common Crambus species when I noticed the strongly falcate wingtips which seem to point to this genus.
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=5389

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 12, 2020 11:15 ΜΜ CDT

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 10, 2020 09:53 ΜΜ CDT

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A very yellowish example with very minimal color areas in the basal streak and PM band. The collar is completely gray.

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 9, 2020 10:03 ΜΜ CDT

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This lools like a reasonable placement for this Colorado example in the genus.
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=8384

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 12, 2020 09:58 ΜΜ CDT

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This species was fairly common on all three nights of mothing, with about 3 to 6 of these showing up each of the three nights.
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=8221

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 12, 2020 09:56 ΜΜ CDT

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This is apparently the Rocky Mtn equivalent of the West Coast Anopina triangulana.
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=3587
These were very common on the moth sheet, with 5 to 10+ present each evening.

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 12, 2020 09:54 ΜΜ CDT

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 12, 2020 11:09 ΜΜ CDT

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 10, 2020 09:03 ΜΜ CDT

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 9, 2020 10:00 ΜΜ CDT

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Even some of these fairly distinctive Noctuids have been tough to ID. Steagrotis vocalis is a Rocky Mountain and Great Basin equivalent of S. pallidicollis of the Pacific States. The pale buffy wash through the inner part of the FWs here suggests that this is a male.
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=10975.1

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 10, 2020 09:54 ΜΜ CDT

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Here's the next batch of somewhat identifiable Noctuids. They get more difficult after these. I have only modest confidence in my IDs of these Andropolia moths. The grayer examples seem to best match A. contacta. The rich buffy examples match A. theodori, I think.

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 12, 2020 09:07 ΜΜ CDT

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Here's the next batch of somewhat identifiable Noctuids. They get more difficult after these. One or a couple of this distincive Noctuid was on the sheet each evening.
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=11019

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 12, 2020 09:06 ΜΜ CDT

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Here's the next batch of somewhat identifiable Noctuids. They get more difficult after these. I have only modest confidence in my IDs of these Andropolia moths. The grayer examples seem to best match A. contacta. The rich buffy examples like this one match A. theodori, I think.
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=9571

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 9, 2020 10:17 ΜΜ CDT

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Here's the next batch of somewhat identifiable Noctuids. They get more difficult after these. I had just a single individual of this species.
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=10869

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 12, 2020 09:13 ΜΜ CDT

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Here's the next batch of somewhat identifiable Noctuids. They get more difficult after these. The rich buffy patch just outside of the PM line on the FW inner margin seems to be diagnostic for this species. I had several of these each evening. That buff patch varies in intensity among them.
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=10406.3

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 12, 2020 11:11 ΜΜ CDT

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Here's the next batch of somewhat identifiable Noctuids. They get more difficult after these. Just a single individual of this species showed up on the moth sheet.
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=10524

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 12, 2020 11:07 ΜΜ CDT

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I only recall seeing a single individual of this species of Noctuid.
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=9550

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 12, 2020 11:06 ΜΜ CDT

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I finally settled on this ID after wandering through MPG, Lafontaine's MONA fascicle (1987, fasc. 27.2), and BOLD examples. In particular, a difference between E. auripennis and the very similar E. servitus is the simple margin of the dark terminal band on the FWs as in these examples. E. servitus has a more jagged, streaked edge. See for instance, the examples of E. auripennis on this BOLD page:
https://v3.boldsystems.org/index.php/Public_SearchTerms?query=%22Euxoa%20auripennis%22[tax]
See also:
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=10852
BG doesn't have a page for the species.

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 12, 2020 09:53 ΜΜ CDT

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This matches the description of the (very) blackish form of Apamea indocilis in the Mikkola et al. MONA fasc. 26.9 (p. 45-47). This moth lacks the "bronzy tones" of the similarly dark A. plutonia. MPG has images only of the lighter form of indocilis.
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=9362
A few examples on the BOLD website appear to show the dark form.
https://v3.boldsystems.org/index.php/Public_SearchTerms?query=%22Apamea%20indocilis%22[tax]

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 12, 2020 10:00 ΜΜ CDT

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Two color forms of what I think are the same species. FW 16 mm on this individual.
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=9814
https://bugguide.net/node/view/89360

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 10, 2020 09:57 ΜΜ CDT

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Now I'm getting into some of the last and toughest IDs among my Vallecito moths. Here are four records of what I distinguish as three different species of the Pyralid genus Dioryctria which feed on conifers. I'm fairly sure I can narrow down the present two examples to #5841 D. abietivorella. This is a boldly marked black and white species with few or no brown or buff tones (Neunzig, 2003 MONA fasc. 15.5). The FW length on each of these examples is 12 mm.
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=5841

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gcwarbler

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Αύγουστος 12, 2020 09:07 ΜΜ CDT

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iNat has only a small handful of records of this species so I thought I'd upload a 2nd observation (from my 3rd night of mothing) from Vallecito Campground. FW 12 mm.
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=5065

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I want to be you when (if) I grow up Chuck! Ha!

Αναρτήθηκε από oddfitz πάνω από 3 χρόνια πριν

Hey, @oddfitz, don't ever grow up. That's my secret!

Αναρτήθηκε από gcwarbler πάνω από 3 χρόνια πριν

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! :)

Αναρτήθηκε από sambiology πάνω από 3 χρόνια πριν

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