Cuerna Critters: Special moth edition

Update April 29, 2014: Several of my original identifications were incorrect or incomplete. A huge thanks to Andy Warren (@AndyBugGuy) for providing corrections and additions! I’ve updated the text and photos below.

Cuernavaca has some spectacular moths! I’d like to share with you a few of the beauties I’ve photographed here over the last year.

Some of the critters below were identified by kind naturalists and entomologists on Twitter –  my thanks to Andy Warren (@AndyBugGuy), Timothy Bonebrake (@bonebraking), and Lee Dingain (@LeeDingain)! Others I have tentatively identified myself, or have marked as ‘unknown’. Please help me give these critters names, if you can!

Velvet Bean Moth, Anticarsia gemmatalis.

1. Anticarsia gemmatalis. Observed Oct. 15, 2013.

Based on shape and markings, I suspect the following two are also Velvet Bean Moths. There seems to be quite a bit of variation in this species. [Confirmed.]

2. Anticarsia gemmatalis. Observed Oct. 1, 2013.

3. Anticarsia gemmatalis. Observed Nov. 30, 2013.

Black Witch, Ascalapha odorata:

4. Ascalapha odorata, male. Observed Oct. 10, 2013.

5. Ascalapha odorata, female. Observed Nov. 16, 2013.

Flannel Moths, family Megalopygidae:

6. Megalopyge sp. Observed Sept. 29, 2013

7. Megalopyge sp., prepupal larva. Observed Nov. 1, 2013.

Although observed earlier in the year, this may be the adult form of the immatures pictured above.

8. Megalopyge sp.. Observed July 19, 2013.

Owlet Moth, family Noctuidae, subfamily Acontiinae:

9. . Noctuidae: Acontiinae. Observed Sept. 20, 2013.

Grass Moth / Crambid Snout Moth, Epipagis sp.

10. Epipagis sp.  Observed Sept. 21, 2013.

Owlet Moth, family Noctuidae, subfamily Hypeninae:

11. Noctuidae: Hypeninae. Observed Oct. 12, 2013.

12. Noctuidae: Hypeninae. Observed Oct. 12, 2013.

Small Mocis Moth / Striped Grass Looper, Mocis latipes:

13. Mocis latipes. Observed Oct. 14, 2013.

14. Mocis latipes. Observed Nov. 1, 2013.

Wasp Moth, Amycles sp.:

15. Amycles sp.. Observed Oct. 26, 2013.

Sarsina sp.:

16. Sarsina sp., nr. purpurascens. Observed Oct. 14, 2013.

17. Sarsina sp., nr. purpurascens. Observed Oct. 14, 2013.

Owlet Moth, family Noctuidae, subfamily Noctuinae:

18. Noctuidae: Noctuinae. Observed Nov. 22, 2013.

Sphinx Moth, Enyo ocypete:

19. Enyo ocypete. Observed Nov. 15, 2013.

Sphinx Moth, Eumorpha typhon:

20. Eumorpha typhon. Observed July 12, 2013.

21. Eumorpha typhon. Observed July 12, 2013.

Tiger Moth, Eucereon sp.:

22. Eucereon sp. Observed July, 2013.

Owlet Moth, family Noctuidae, subfamily Hypeninae:

23. Noctuidae: Hypeninae. Observed Aug. 27, 2013.

Tiger Moth, Hypercompe sp.:

24. Hyoercompe sp.  Pictured with eggs. Observed Sept. 8, 2013.

Plume Moth, family Pterophoridae:

25. Pterophoridae. Observed Sept. 9, 2013.

Saddleback caterpillar, Acharia stimulea / Sibene stimulea:

26. . Acharia stimulea. Observed Sept. 21, 2013.

Geometrid Moth, family Geometridae:

Geometridae. Observed Nov. 18, 2013.

Cyanopepla sp.:

Cyanopepla sp. Observed Feb. 3, 2014.

Cyanopepla sp. Observed Feb. 3, 2014.

Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar, Hypercompe sp.:

Hypercompe sp. Observed Feb. 18, 2014.

All content on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.