Virginia Ctenucha Moths

Virginia Ctenucha (Ctenucha virginica)
female

I happen to have two cocoons of this moth in the mud room. I'm waiting for them to become adults. And I accidentally raised one last summer after finding a cocoon on some grasses. I brought it in and next thing I knew, I had . . .

female

The Name

First off, I'll pronounce this correctly: "ten-OOCH-ah." I've spent too many years playing this name as a funny word joke, with my moth-er friends, like we all play with Worcestershire sauce. It is time for me to respect the name. As for the Virginia part of the name . . . it is not named after the state. According to bugguide.net, "the type specimen was collected in Nova Scotia and named Ctenucha latreillana by Kirby in 1837, but an earlier specimen named Sphinx virginica by Charpentier in 1830 may have been collected in Virginia." The state of Virginia is the southern boundary of the range of this moth. "The genus name Ctenucha was coined by William Kirby from the Greek meaning 'having a comb', a reference to the showy antennae of some species." (Wikipedia) I'll talk about those combs in the next section.

I learned today that the Virginia Ctenucha is considered a wasp moth. Yet, it does not look like a wasp to me and my other wasp moths actually do look like wasps. This took a lot of digging to discover, but I found (only found today because I had not paid attention to the taxonomy of the moth), that this species is one species in the subtribe Ctenuchina.

And the subtribe Ctenuchina belongs to the tribe Arctiini. Those are the tiger moths, yet our moth here does not have the underwings of tiger moths. so I became more curious. And then I fell down the rabbit hole of taxonomy and entomology history. 

The name Arctiini is "From the type genus Arctia, from Greek meaning 'bear', for the appearance of the hairy larvae." (bugguide.net) We all know woolly bears (the larvae of Isabella tiger moths). And many of us know yellow bears, the Virginia tiger moth larvae. (And we're back to Virginia!)

So my common and widespread Virginia Ctenucha moth is both a wasp moth that does not look like a wasp and a tiger moth that does not look like a tiger moth. And it should have bear larvae . . . but I'll talk about that in a third section.

I found the answer. This is a tough paragraph to wade through, and I had to read it three times . . . slower and slower each time . . . to begin to grasp it all. But by studying taxonomy and wading through history, you can learn more supplemental information on a species than you can see outdoors. It is enrichment. I get a deeper understanding of the insect, our insect lore and fables, and our human culture that has interacted with these creatures for thousands of years.

Here, from Moths of Belize, is the paragraph that tells us about wasp moths, Ctenuchinae, and bears (I added emphasis):

The Ctenuchinae ('Wasp Moths') have long been suspected to be an 'unnatural' group, made up of unrelated species which have evolved to appear similar due to similar evolutionary selection pressures - in this case to mimic various species of wasps and other noxious insects. Recent cladistic work by Jacobson & Weller (2002) has concluded that the former 'Ctenuchinae' consist of two closely related new world tribes of the subfamily Arctiinae - the Ctenuchini and the Euchromiini - and that the mostly tropical old world 'Ctenuchines' are members of the tribe Syntomini of another Arctiid subfamily, the Syntominae. The vast majority of the former 'Ctenuchinae' (ie Ctenuchini and Euchromiini) are confined to the new world tropics, with about a dozen species ranging into North America. Most are between 20 and 40 mm in wingspan: their wings are characteristically long and thin and often possess large transparent patches in mimicry of various species of wasps and bees. Larvae are difficult to distinguish from those of other Arctiids, but feed upon grasses, lichens, mosses and various members of the plant family Apocynaceae (Scoble 1992). This group has not been catalogued or revised in detail since the major work by Hampson (1898, 1914) but the recent work by Jacobson & Weller (2002) has revised the higher classification of the Arctiidae including the former 'Ctenuchinae'. 

from Butterflies and Moths of North America (BaMoNA)

The Comb

Males have beautiful comb antennae (called unipectinate), as you can see in the two photos I took below. The first was taken last season as it nectared on milkweed. The second had a tragic fate. When I let Lucy out the other night, it flew in the house before Lucy could get her nose out the door. I turned around and found Poppy the Cat bouncing up to the bathroom sink to catch the moth. I got my photos but was unable to capture the moth because Poppy aggressively got it before I could. 

Males have the bigger antennae in order to detect female pheromones. 

male

male

The Bears

Last year when I found my first Ctenucha cocoon, I thought it was a ball of spider eggs.

My first Ctenucha cocoon

Ctenucha caterpillar

Another Ctenucha caterpillar

One of the 2 caterpillars this year.

One of the two cocooned

The cocoon broke and the pupa fell out

Our answer about the Tiger moth bear larvae is that yes, these do look like bears. Ctenucha moth larvae have two colors depending on the time: spring and early summer caterpillars are yellow and mid summer ones are dark. But they all have red feet. All of the identifications of my caterpillar photographs are confirmed. 

I became so confused when the dark pupa was visible. I had no idea where it came from. Today I learned that it came from inside the cocoon. 

The cocoon itself is made of the hair from the caterpillar. It pulls the hairs out of itself and weaves the cocoon. Sharon Perrault, of Ottawa, documented this in a series of four photos over 30 hours. It is a series that you cannot miss, so click here.

The End

Those were my burning Ctenucha questions for this year. It took the better part of a rainy summer day to read, write, collect my photos and link and format them all. I'm glad I did it. Humans saw fuzzy caterpillars and called them bears. Scientists later used that, in Latin, to name the tribe. It's amazing. My two pupae should eclose within a week or two.

_/\_/\_

A Saltie Lifer

Habronattus decorus

One of the little boys presented the class with a jumping spider. For some reason, they had all quickly, perhaps instantaneously, retained information on the jumping spiders. Perhaps it is because of their tiny flea-size, or their jumping about like fleas, or their comical, endearing faces. But the boys spot them quickly and have learned how to safely capture and hold them.  In these photos, the spider is on the student's hand.

male

I have never documented this species before, making him a lifer for me. The species is common, though. Nobody in Vermont had reported finding them at bugguide.net, so I did. Many Vermonters have documented them at iNaturalist, though.

They are affectionately called salties because jumping spiders are in the Family Salticidae. H. decorus is everywhere from Nova Scotia to Florida and west to British Columbia and Oregon. They don't show up in dry places like deserts or in the dry parts of the west. 

His ruby-colored abdomen tells us he's male.

There isn't much information to be found on the internet about this species. But there is a marvelous one and a half minute video made by Dick Walton here. I really urge you to watch it. There is a female H. decorus in the video, also. This spider has no common name.

_/\_/\_

A Smokey Day

Barton Mountain ridgeline about 3 PM

We had a vicious outbreak of wildfire smoke from Quebec yesterday. The air quality index rose throughout the day to a high of 219 around 3 AM this morning. The forecast said that it would improve at 9 AM today, but it has not been as quick a scouring as I had hoped. The air alert is now extended to 12 noon today. The AQI at 9:30 AM today is still at 169. I have opened one door and one window because it has been suffocating inside the house, even with a fan upstairs and down. Sleep was fitful and interrupted often. Lucy panted in the heat, but she and the cats remained in bed throughout the night.

The road to Lyndonville about 4 PM

This outbreak of smoke is not as bad as it was for Connecticut and Washington, DC in May, when their AQI went over 300 for days. But this doesn't happen here, and it was scary. I also have my end-of-school cold, so I was anxious and coughing and miserable.

Northern Vermont State University, Lyndonville

Leaving Orleans County to Caledonia County

Amy's neighborhood about 6 PM

I am, though, counting my blessings and more aware of the danger of forest fires. There almost was one here in the 1990s but it was doused before it was big. It could happen, and we have to be aware of our actions to avoid any fires. I also don't have to live in a fire area like the Canadians. I can't imagine what it is like to live close to it and see the land and wildlife that you love destroyed. 

Sunset in Barton

This was a high AQI at 9:30 PM but it only got worse

_/\_/\_

Moths, Beetles, Spiders and Ticks

One-eyed Sphinx (Smerinthus cerisyi)

On Tuesday, June 20, we had an unscheduled bug hunt. I had sort of run out of lessons for the kids, so we went outside. I thought it would be to play, but they grabbed their bug containers and hunted. And they found some beauties!

I finally did my sphinx moth photos properly, with finger and head shots. I wish I had audio taped the student reactions when they saw me lift the moth on my finger the first time. The gasps were just huge. The little kids barely moved. When the moth began to shake as it warmed its wings, they warned me. Those little pre-K and K kids learn!

We had time to have other children hold the moth and they passed it finger to finger and quietly gasped and "aww-ed" as the moth walked on their hands. They had never experienced such a sensation before. I quickly took as many shots as possible.

The next moth they found was a hickory tussock moth. This is a fuzzy caterpillar moth that you do not want to touch. But the adult is gorgeous. Once again, we held it and passed it from child to child. By this time they had become old hands at moth handling. The boys were enchanted by the green eyes.

Hickory Tussock Moth (Lophocampa caryae)

Another moth, though, was my favorite of the day: the Splendid Dagger. I had never seen this one before, so it was a lifer for me. I have a fondness for black and white moths, just as I do for black and white cats.  😉

Splendid Dagger (Acronicta superans)

One boy, our youngest, has a passion for spiders. He even uses "arachnid" properly at his young age. He wants spider movies all the time, not insect videos. On the last day of school, I granted his wish and we watched the PBS Nature "The Spider Hunter" video. This sheet-weaver spider was his find. They actually do make webs that look like messy sheets.

Sheet-Weaver Spider (Subfamily Linyphiinae)

Blackclock Ground Beetle (Genus Pterostichus)

There seem to be a lot of ground beetles at school. Actually, there are a lot of ground beetles everywhere, but the kids at school always find them. In the fall, when the days and nights are warm, I will teach them how to make pitfall traps to capture them overnight.

When we released our bugs, the moths went straight for the shirt of Steve, the classroom counselor. That was fun for the kids and great for the camera.

American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis)

Alas, when we came inside again, my little spider boy spied a tick on his sneaker. How he saw it baffles me. I could barely, barely see the dot on his shoe. I love my bug camera that zooms in so well. I now carry my tick kit (tweezers, identifying card and alcohol wipe) with me all the time because of Lucy and ticks this year. We carefully disposed of the tick properly.

I love my summers. But oh, I am going to miss those little boys. We did sneak one more hunt in on the last day of school after the spider video. That hunt was stupendous! Stay tuned.

_/\_/\_

Almost the Last Bug Hunt

Soldier beetle (Cantharis livida)

Last week we had what I thought would be our last bug hunt at school (it wasn't). The kids found some interesting things in just a few minutes. Each photo is labeled.

I am so proud of what good caretakers of bugs the kids have become. They are not scared. They handle them correctly. They report quickly what they find. Finally, they release properly to the same spot that they found the creature.

On Steve's arm with a happy face.

We have a lot of fun with the kids and the bugs. I never expected Steve, the classroom counselor, to allow a soldier beetle on his arm, but he did and was very careful. There were a lot of jokes and laughter about man-eating bugs! In the end, though, the beetle threw Steve back, probably because he didn't taste good enough. 

Flying away

A slug. I have to do my slug and snail unit next year.

A crane fly

Unknown spider on student's finger

I still won't handle a spider in my hand, but this child did! I know of only one other student (in the high school) who will also hold spiders. In Vermont, there are no dangerous spiders, so there are no worries.

Asian Lady Beetle

I will miss having my little bug hunters gathering wonderful bugs and learning and constantly asking questions. I'm looking forward to next year.

_/\_/\_

Non-native

A pollinating drone fly

This fly, while important for pollination, is probably not native. I won't know until its identity is confirmed. It's my first fly of the season and I was happy to find it. It's been so cold and windy at my house that I have barely seen anything fly or creep about.

I was not as happy to find it on cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris). So we have a non-native fly pollinating a non-native, invasive plant in these photos. 

Anthriscus sylvestris

I'm going to have to stop getting exercised over non-natives. They are here to stay and I have no power over them. I'm going to sit back and simply enjoy the show. The cow parsley (also called wild chervil) is part of the carrot family. Those are the plants that black swallowtails love. I can't find a definitive answer on whether they use this one as a host plant. Cow parsley is invasive and quarantined by many states, so I can't plant it for butterflies. It will probably show up in the ditch in the road sooner or later because snow plows are one of the best spreaders of seed out there.

I will visit these plants as often as I can over the season to see if I can find any caterpillars.

_/\_/\_

Puddling Crescents

Crescents (Genus Phyciodes)

I immediately need to explain why I have not identified these butterflies down to species. It's another genetic mess of similar species in the same genus: the Northern Crescent and the Pearl Crescent. In northern Vermont, we see both. My rule of thumb used to be that the Northerns had yellow clubs and were the first of the season. The Pearls were smaller and came later in the summer. But my identifications have been challenged by butterfly biologists, and one cannot argue with them. Now, I only go to genus. I can't even share any verified photos of either species because all IDs, I read, are suspect.

Pearl Crescents and Northern Crescents are often confused, and the identity of some examples shown on Butterfly websites and in books is debatable. Generally Northerns are obviously larger and dominated by orange above, with the dark borders tending to be narrower. The veins in the mid portion of the wing are more likely to be orange than in Pearl Crescents (more likely mostly black there). Pearls, especially the males, tend to have a lot more black above, and often very wide dark borders. Below Northerns tend to be more orange on the hind wings. Pearls often have the antennal clubs entirely dark or with only a small whitish tip (apparently the males always do in the Northeast), but this varies from place to place and individually. None of these is a totally relaible (sic) trait by itself, and the "overall picture" is important, one needs to avoid focusing on just one or two details when trying to separate these two species, and different traits may work better or worse in one region than in another. The traits of a line through the middle of the hind wing with dark veins in Pearls, and not in Northerns (at least in males) doesn't always work, and should be taken with a grain of salt.

from  "Species Phyciodes cocyta - Northern Crescent -Hodges#4481.1"

 But anyhow.

I came home to these two puddling in the driveway and was able to get some shots of them. They are beautiful, bright, tiny little creatures and I love to see them. Somehow, they impart happiness in ways that other butterflies do not.

If you want more identifying information on the two species, try these reads and photos:

• Northern Crescent
• Pearl Crescent

and, as Bugguide says:

• Not quite Northern or Pearl

I used to be obsessed with identifications being down to species. But that has, thankfully, passed. Now I can simply relax, enjoy, and take the best photos I can so that perhaps future people can settle their names. At least Phyciodes does not interbreed. That I know of.  😉

_/\_/\_