Comments on: fresh from the garden http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2007/06/13/fresh-from-the-garden/ a place where nature, photography and writing meet Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:18:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: bev http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2007/06/13/fresh-from-the-garden/#comment-174876 Fri, 03 Aug 2007 15:13:02 +0000 http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2007/06/13/fresh-from-the-garden/#comment-174876 Tila - Offhand, I don't know that moth, but you do you belong to the NatureNS nature discussion email group? There are several people in the group who are good at identifying insects, so you could post and email to the group. If you want to find out how to join, go to <a href="https://chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/FNSN/news.html" rel="nofollow">this web page</a> and follow the instructions in the section under "Email Communications". You'll probably enjoy reading the emails from that list - there are usually 5 or 6 per day containing lots of interesting sightings, etc... Good luck with IDing your moth! Tila - Offhand, I don’t know that moth, but you do you belong to the NatureNS nature discussion email group? There are several people in the group who are good at identifying insects, so you could post and email to the group. If you want to find out how to join, go to this web page and follow the instructions in the section under “Email Communications”. You’ll probably enjoy reading the emails from that list - there are usually 5 or 6 per day containing lots of interesting sightings, etc… Good luck with IDing your moth!

]]> by: Tila Kellman http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2007/06/13/fresh-from-the-garden/#comment-174874 Fri, 03 Aug 2007 15:04:53 +0000 http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2007/06/13/fresh-from-the-garden/#comment-174874 Hi--love your photos; all of you people are answering questions for me. Maybe you can help me, although I don't have a photo. We have what I think is a day-flying moth, and I've only seen one this year although they are usually common around our place. It was at least a month ago. They are small, although bigger than than 8-spotted forresters/white-spotted sable moths. They have the same general shape. Colours are amazing: pearly grey fore wing with, I think, a red leading rib, and brilliant red hind wing; furry red body. We live on the NE coast of Nova Scotia, in damp to wet fields and pastures. It seems to like alfalfa. Any help? Thanks very much--Tila Hi–love your photos; all of you people are answering questions for me. Maybe you can help me, although I don’t have a photo. We have what I think is a day-flying moth, and I’ve only seen one this year although they are usually common around our place. It was at least a month ago. They are small, although bigger than than 8-spotted forresters/white-spotted sable moths. They have the same general shape. Colours are amazing: pearly grey fore wing with, I think, a red leading rib, and brilliant red hind wing; furry red body. We live on the NE coast of Nova Scotia, in damp to wet fields and pastures. It seems to like alfalfa. Any help?

Thanks very much–Tila

]]> by: Dave http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2007/06/13/fresh-from-the-garden/#comment-81685 Fri, 15 Jun 2007 02:40:29 +0000 http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2007/06/13/fresh-from-the-garden/#comment-81685 I've heard raccoons make noises like that. My rule of thumb is, if it's a weird noise and it's not porcupine mating season, it's probably a raccoon. I’ve heard raccoons make noises like that. My rule of thumb is, if it’s a weird noise and it’s not porcupine mating season, it’s probably a raccoon.

]]> by: bev http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2007/06/13/fresh-from-the-garden/#comment-80047 Thu, 14 Jun 2007 16:21:14 +0000 http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2007/06/13/fresh-from-the-garden/#comment-80047 Pamela - the <a href="http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/Files/Live/Species/8000/8731.shtml" rel="nofollow">Toothed Somberwing</a> is most often seen in longish grass or pasture. It and the <a href="http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/Files/Live/Species/8000/8738.shtml" rel="nofollow">Clover Looper Moth</a> look kind of the same and are often seen in similar locales.. think longish grass and clover where wild strawberries grow . They are both sort of pyramid-shaped when you see them at rest in the grass. They're easily distinguished though as the Somberwing has the large, dark marking on the wings, while the Clover Looper has 2 black dots close to the tips of the forewings. The Virginia and Ctenucha and the Yellow-collared Scape Moth are different enough that you should be able to tell them apart. The Ctenucha usually has a blue shimmer on dark wings, and the forewings are sort blunter at the tips and larger. The Scape Moth is a bit smaller in size tends to look sort of dull and brownish black and with wings that come to more of an oval point. I find the head section quite different too. I should have mentioned that there is another moth that is sort of similar to the Eight-spotted Forester and it's a little more common, so you might watch for it too - <a href="http://www.pbase.com/crocodile/image/61318770" rel="nofollow">Anania funebris glomeralis</a>. It's a bit smaller though, but even has similar orange feather stuff near the head. I shot this photo of a pair here at the farm last year. They are different from the Eight Spotted Forester in a few ways, but most easy to spot is that the forewings have a small extra white spot, and the body has white stripes. There are so many moths to get to know, but the nice thing is that there are quite a few that are so common that it's not too hard to get to recognize them on sight. I like the day-flying moths as I don't ever seem to have enough energy to spend time photographing moths in the evening. Check out the rest of my <a href="http://www.pbase.com/crocodile/image/61318770" rel="nofollow">Moth Gallery</a> on Pbase if you'd like to see some of the more common moths in this part of Ontario. Of the day flying species, the Slant-line moths, the one called Desmia funeralis, and the Xanthotype urticaria, are all ones you should see fairly often. Pamela - the Toothed Somberwing is most often seen in longish grass or pasture. It and the Clover Looper Moth look kind of the same and are often seen in similar locales.. think longish grass and clover where wild strawberries grow . They are both sort of pyramid-shaped when you see them at rest in the grass. They’re easily distinguished though as the Somberwing has the large, dark marking on the wings, while the Clover Looper has 2 black dots close to the tips of the forewings. The Virginia and Ctenucha and the Yellow-collared Scape Moth are different enough that you should be able to tell them apart. The Ctenucha usually has a blue shimmer on dark wings, and the forewings are sort blunter at the tips and larger. The Scape Moth is a bit smaller in size tends to look sort of dull and brownish black and with wings that come to more of an oval point. I find the head section quite different too. I should have mentioned that there is another moth that is sort of similar to the Eight-spotted Forester and it’s a little more common, so you might watch for it too - Anania funebris glomeralis. It’s a bit smaller though, but even has similar orange feather stuff near the head. I shot this photo of a pair here at the farm last year. They are different from the Eight Spotted Forester in a few ways, but most easy to spot is that the forewings have a small extra white spot, and the body has white stripes. There are so many moths to get to know, but the nice thing is that there are quite a few that are so common that it’s not too hard to get to recognize them on sight. I like the day-flying moths as I don’t ever seem to have enough energy to spend time photographing moths in the evening. Check out the rest of my Moth Gallery on Pbase if you’d like to see some of the more common moths in this part of Ontario. Of the day flying species, the Slant-line moths, the one called Desmia funeralis, and the Xanthotype urticaria, are all ones you should see fairly often.

]]> by: Pamela http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2007/06/13/fresh-from-the-garden/#comment-79943 Thu, 14 Jun 2007 15:32:08 +0000 http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2007/06/13/fresh-from-the-garden/#comment-79943 I've been seing the yellow-collared Scape moth/Virginia Ctenucha over the last few days--not in strikingly large numbers. Of course, I wasn't even sure they were moths til I read this--and I would have never thought they were two different critters (nor do I know if I've been seeing both--but maybe I'll be able to tell now, maybe). Thanks for pointing this out. I'm guessing the Toothed Somberwing is a night flyer? I saw the remains of something very similar in a spider web on the porch a few days ago--but couldn't say for sure it was this moth. I’ve been seing the yellow-collared Scape moth/Virginia Ctenucha over the last few days–not in strikingly large numbers. Of course, I wasn’t even sure they were moths til I read this–and I would have never thought they were two different critters (nor do I know if I’ve been seeing both–but maybe I’ll be able to tell now, maybe). Thanks for pointing this out. I’m guessing the Toothed Somberwing is a night flyer? I saw the remains of something very similar in a spider web on the porch a few days ago–but couldn’t say for sure it was this moth.

]]>