2024 Mothing starting out amazing.

We haven't even gotten to prime moth time yet and I've already seen more lifers than last year.  An early warm up certainly led to this, as well as some less ambitious birding on my part.  One highlight was the potential find of a 1st Michigan state record for an entire genus, Asaphocrita.  A little more on that later.  

The spring started off early with a warmup in early February with back to back lifers on 2/9 and 2/10 with this Spring Cankerworm Moth and a Dowdy Pinion.  

Winter made a comeback so it wasnt until 3/5 that I got Pale Apple Leafroller Moth and an amazing looking Fawn Sallow.  The Grey Sallow wasn't a lifer, but still a great looking moth.  

There was then another long gap to April 7th with below Mustard Sallow, on 4/8 with Ruby Quaker and on 4/9 a White Stripe-backed Moth

Tax Day on 4/15 turned out to be an amazing night for lifers.  From left to right in each row are the 6 lifers seen on 4/15:  Siederia walshella, Virginia Pseudexentara Moth (not super confident in the ID), Intractable Quaker, Transfigured Hydriomena Moth, Coleotechnites Flower Moth, and Distinct Quaker.

The next 2 days brought 3 more lifers with Mediterranean flour moth on 4/16 (first two photos) and on 4/17 Norman's Quaker and Columbia Pug

4/22 was a Gretchena amatana, 4/26 a Maple Trumpet Skelotonizer Moth.  4/27 was the Asaphocrita, which I'll discuss in a separate post.  4/28 (3) and 4/29 (4) brought 7 more lifers!!!  Amazing mothing nights in a time of the year I just don't normally even think about moths.  

1. Dogwood Thyatirid Moth
2. Hollow-spotted Angle
3. White-dotted Groundling
4. Horrid Zale Moth
5. Tawny Eupithecia Moth
6. Forage Looper Moth
7. Gray-banded Leafroller Moth

May started off on the 2nd with this amazingly beautiful Chinquapin Leafminer Moth.  I'm still astounded by these colors.  

Between 5/3 and 5/15 I racked up 6 more lifers with an Ancylis diminuatana on 5/3, Nais Tiger Moth on 5/11, gorgeous Double-toothed Prominent (5/13), part of the Ancylis spraeifoliana complex (5/13), Northern Petrophora Moth (5/14 and possibly 700th moth), and a Beggartick Leaffolder Moth (5/15)

5/18 started out amazing with a Broken-banded Leafroller Moth early in the morning, and Eastern Grass-Veneer at the airport while out birding.  

The evening of 5/18 though eventually caused me to essentially ditch any birding early in the morning, or at all with the rapidly rising temps.  This Apical Prominent is one of the coolest looking moths I have ever seen.  

This moth was later followed by this Golden Sweeper (I had a very similar moth identified to Genus previously), and a Eucosma radiatana.  

I now sit at 706 different moths, with 480 confirmed identities on iNat and 1 more on BAMONA.  Here are some other interesting moths and other bugs this year.  

1. Labyrinth Moth is always cool to see
2. This Saddled Prominent looked like something from Middle-Earth
3. Common Baskettail that was very reflective
4. Pearly Wood-Nymphs are always amazing to see
5. Common Ringlet - fairly rare in SW MI, but apparently becoming more common.
6. Cattail Borer Moth I thought was a lifer, but have had a couple before.
7. Two-spotted Bumblebee (?) carrying pollen on legs.