Lucy and I went out earlier than usual this morning . . . and found it! I have been closely watching the primroses twice a day for the past two weeks and one moth finally appeared. It is late morning now as I write this. It is raining and the moth is gone. But I am sure it will return, as will others. Here are photos to show how you may find your primrose plants and moths. Primroses are wild and will spread naturally. Mine grow at the edges of my fields in full sun. I never noticed the moths at all until John pointed one out one summer. Now I can spot them from twenty feet away—except when their camouflage makes me think I saw a moth and it was only a bud. As soon as I can, I will hold a moth in my hand and photograph its green googly eyes that make me laugh.
%20(2).jpg) |
| Primrose Moth - Hodges#11164 (Schinia florida) |
The pink and yellow is actually good camouflage for this butterfly. You have to watch the life cycle of the plant to understand how it works. It's still difficult for me to describe. Remember: if you click on a photo, a lightbox will open in a new window and you can scroll through all the photos full size.
%20(3).jpg) |
%20(5).jpg)
The moths in the Schinia genus are called flower moths because their hosts are flowers and the larvae eat the flowers of the host. So the primrose moth caterpillars eat the buds of the primrose. Eggs are laid on the buds.
The adult moths rest during the day head down in the primrose flowers. At night, they can be attracted by light.
These are the three references I use for moth identification and information:
%20(10).jpg)
Here are three distribution maps for North America for the moths (they are native only here) from the three sites above. They vary because people document sightings to different sites (although some sites do merge information). I use all three maps because with climate change, ranges are changing.
No primroses, no moths.
Be kind.
Be curious.
Wow, I've never seen one before. So beautiful.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day. ♥