6 July 2017 - Caddis fly Headache

(Ectoedemia sp) or (Stigmella sp) 

The trap was placed in the garden instead of the quarry to figure out if there is any noticeable difference between the two areas. We are getting more species but I believe that may be because of the time of year rather than the placement. 

After accidentally grabbing hold of a slug under the rim of the trap, the second time this week unfortunately, I went through the trap taking pictures of anything I was not familiar with. There were quite a few moths I did not recognize, both macros and micros. The macros unsurprisingly, took a lot less time to identify, except one which I am waiting for confirmation. The micro moths occupied most of the rest of my day.

In the photograph above can be seen a moth that we are unable to identify.  It is either an Ectoedemia or a Stigmella - but we can't tell which.  The sizes of the moths are similar, the markings are similar and both are reasonably common.  The only way to determine which is by dissection.  We have had an Ectoedemia species once before so we can't claim a new species for our unknown micro.

(Swammerdamia caesiella or Paraswammerdamia nebulla

Another micro we found difficult to identify is in the picture above. I believed it was either a Swammerdamia caesiella or a Paraswammerdamia nebulella. After consulting with Charlie, he informed me that it cannot be accurately identified but that I was correct in that it is one of those two. Both species are common in Britain, the larvae of Swammerdamia caesiella feed on birch (Betula) while the larvae of the latter feed on hawthorn (Crataegus) and rowan (Sorbus aucuparia).

While we have had Swammerdamia caesiella before, we have not had Paraswammerdamia nebulella. We cannot list this moth as a new species however, as it is not certain which one it is.

Micro caddis fly 

When I was examining the sides of the trap itself, after having gone through the egg boxes, I saw a micro moth and persuaded it into a tube. After experiencing several headaches trying to both identify the moth and trying to get a decent photograph, I eventually got a picture of it which showed the insect’s miniscule features. Even with a detailed photograph I was still flipping through the entirety of the micro moth book trying to find a similar pattern and shape. Asking Charlie again for his help, he told me it was a micro caddis fly and not a moth at all. A detail I had missed while looking at the photograph were the little hairs on the body of the caddis. I had forgotten that moths do not have hair but have scales. This trap really proved how difficult identification can be, especially when some of the defining characteristics are hard to notice with the naked eye.

Post : Walter Chen [UPenn intern]

2 August 2013 - Off to See the World.

It's my last day! But I still have one more blog post yet to complete. I've had an absolutely wonderful time here at Shandy Hall these past two months, and I've met many amazingly nice people whom I hope to keep in contact with in the future. I'm sure the moths will miss me, and I will miss the moths. I'm also sure I'll be seeing more of them around wherever I go. I just won't have an identification book with me to figure out what all of them are. Dr. Chesmore says that many moth species can be found in various places all around the world - he once found a Large Twin-spot Carpet in Japan! Maybe I'll find some familiar creatures back at UPenn.

Swammerdamia caesiella

This new micro-moth is one that we've have quite a few of, but only recently identified - Swammerdamia caesiella. There are a number of micro-moths that look extremely similar to this one so care must be taken. The genus is named after Dutch biologist Jan Swammerdam. His research on insects showed that an insect can go through different phases in its lifetime (egg, larva, pupa, and adult) and that these phases are one and the same creature. Caesius 'bluish grey' is the supposed color of the Swammerdami caesiella's forewing. I've never really noticed the blue in it before now, but I suppose there is a tinge of it in the grey.

Zelleria hepariella

Zelleria hepariella is another micro-moth that can trace its name to an important scientist. Philipp Christoph Zeller was a distinguished German micro-lepidopterist. He lead a systematic approach to studying micro-moths and became one of the greatest (if not the greatest) lepidopterist of his century. His collection is now owned by the National History Museum in London. Zelleria hepariella is the only micro-moth in this genus. Its species name sounds a little unflattering to me - hepar 'the liver' for the color of the micro-moth's wings. I would have perhaps chosen something more grandiose to couple with one of the greatest micro-lepidopterists ever.

Cydia fagiglandana

Perhaps Zeller needs to be paired something like the genus name of the Cydia fagiglandana. Cydia comes from kudos 'glory, reknown.' An artist figuring the moths gave the name as a tribute to their beauty. The larvae of the Cydia fagiglandana feed on the insides of glans 'a beech-nut' from the beech tree (Fagus sylvatica). I hope they don't feed on too many on them - the beech tree is one of my favorites.

Cherry Fruit Moth (Argyresthia pruniella)

The next micro-moth is what we believe to be a Cherry Fruit Moth (Argyresthia pruniella). It was found some time ago, but like the Swammerdamia caesiella, it tends to have many look-a-likes. It is in the same genus as our red friend from yesterday, the ever-perky Argyresthia albistria. Cherry Fruit Moth larvae feed on the insides of cherries, which means people with cherry trees won't like them very much. Its name comes from one of its foodplants, the cherry-plum (Prunus cerasus).

Dark Brocade (Blepharita adusta)

My last moth, the Dark Brocade (Blepharita adusta)! What a sinister name. It was found even earlier than the Cherry Fruit Moth, but on a day filled with Dusky Brocades. Dr. Chesmore pointed it out as a Dark Brocade. If you compare the two moths you'll see how easily the mistake can be made. They are both dark with similar colors and patterning. Blepharitis 'of the eyelids' may make reference to some marking on the wings, but I am unsure. Adustus 'sunburnt, swarthy' describes the dark color of the Dark Brocade. It looks more like it's been roasted than simply sunburnt.

And with that, Shandy Hall is at a whopping 315 species! That's 58 new species since I've been here, and a few more that Dr. Chesmore is still helping us identify. That's great! Hopefully next year there will be another intern here to identify another several dozen moths for Shandy Hall! And here's a picture of me setting up the moth trap in the garden.

- Post by Jane Wu