Moth Monday: The Unknown Moth

Monday, October 13th, 2008

There are somewhere over 10,000 different species of moths in North America. Sometimes even the larger ones can go unidentified. Here’s one from Shoreline Park in Mountain View that has as yet resisted efforts at identification:

Moth perched on ceiling of men's room

If anyone recognizes it, please comment.

Unknown Species, genus, and family
Shoreline Park, Mountain View, 2008-05-07

Update

It took a few years but the current (January, 2011) thinking is that this is in the genus Tetracis. Exact species still indeterminate.

Silver Argiope

Saturday, October 11th, 2008

Large orb weaver in web with stabilimentum, dorsal view
Silver Argiope, Argiope argentata, female
Robert E. Badham Marine Life refuge, Corona del Mar, 2008-10-09
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Pallid-winged Grasshopper

Friday, October 10th, 2008

Grey grasshopper in desert
Pallid-winged Grasshopper, Trimerotropis pallidipennis
Corn Creek, Clark County, Nevada, 2008-09-28

Moth Monday: Saltmarsh Moth

Monday, October 6th, 2008

White moth on clipboard
Saltmarsh Moth – Hodges#8131 (Estigmene acrea)
Brookhurst Marsh, Huntington Beach, 10-04-2008

Bill Butler found this sleepy fellow (gal?) on this past weekend’s bird census. I’ve seen the caterpillar of this species before, but this is the first time I’ve seen the adult.
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Banded Argiope

Saturday, October 4th, 2008

Yellow and black striped spider
Banded Argiope, Argiope trifasciata
Brookhurst Marsh, Huntington Beach, Orange County, CA,2008-10-04

Today I once again participated in the quarterly bird census for the Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy. Breeding season is over so we tramped around in the pickleweed more than previously which turned up a lot of small leafhoppers, various moths, a few butterflies, and a couple of these gorgeous spiders.
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American Bullfrog

Friday, October 3rd, 2008

Bullfrog in water
American Bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana
Corn Creek, Clark County, Nevada, 2008-09-28