Moths of Michigan
‘Primarily, I went to the swamp to study and reproduce the birds. I never thought they could have a rival in my heart. But these fragile night wanderers, these moonflowers of June’s darkness, literally “thrust themselves upon me.” When my cameras were placed before the home of a pair of birds…and clinging to them found a creature, often having the bird’s sweep of wing…the feathered folk found a competitor that often outdistanced them in my affections, for I am captivated easily by colour, and beauty of form.’
Butterflies have peaked my interest and curiosity since childhood- but moths, well.. they were usually something I found on the grills of our vehicles in a pretty messy condition. They hung around our porch lights in droves and beat themselves silly against any inanimate object with loud thunks. I didn’t pay much attention to the moths that flew into our laterns while night-fishing, so seemingly bent on self-destruction. Aside from the Hummingbird moths that nectared on our flowers during the day and the large Cecropias we’d occasionally see during the evenings, I basically assumed that moths were all pretty much the same.
Duh!
Moths are invertebrate animals, belonging to the Phylum Arthropoda, the largest phylum by far in the Animal Kingdom with over a million described species. Within the Phylum Arthropoda, moths belong to the Class Insecta, or Hexapoda. Insects in turn are divided into about 28 orders, and one of the most advanced orders is the Lepidoptera (meaning ’scaled-wing’), which includes butterflies and moths. There are around 765 species of butterflies in the United States, while there are over 14,000 species of moths.
My interest in moths began quite simply, after moving into a very rural & wooded area of northeastern Michigan. I began observing many nocturnal moths under the mercury light on our property and I was intrigued by the diversity and beauty of this family of insects.
Moths are some of natures greatest mimics, sporting spectacular camoflage. Some resemble tree bark, others look like twigs, leaves and even bird droppings. Some have beautiful and rich colors, with wings that resemble an intricately patterened persian rug while others are so nondescript that they blend in with their surroundings completely. Some are small enough to fly up a nostril, while others are large enough to cast a shadow as large as Downy Woodpecker. The moths in the cryptic Catocalinae family are masters at camouflage , with brightly colored underwings that serve as a distraction to would-be predators.
Like all insects, moths have 6 legs. They also have antennae that are sensitive to touch, taste, temperature, wind movement and smell. Moths first appeared on earth 100 to 190 million years ago. This was during the age of the dinosaurs and coincided with the appearance of birds. Most moths are usually active at night, have wings that are folded against their back, have various shapes of antennae, and are grouped into over 100 families. Some species live only 2-3 days while others have been reported to live up to 60 days or longer. Certain species like the Luna moth have no moving mouth parts, therefore they never eat- their primary purpose in their short lives is to reproduce. Moths have 4 distinct life stages: egg, caterpillar, pupa, and adult.
On many summer evenings of late, I can be found out under the mercury vapor light where I hang white sheets over the garage door entrance. With a bugshirt on to deter biting mosquitoes and camera in hand, I have taken photos of hundreds of moth species in a very short period of time, and continue to discover more each time I head out into the dark of night. I eventually got over the heebie-jeebies of being covered from head to toe with katydids, eastern dobsonflies, craneflies and other night-flying insects, but the occasional june bug that bounces off my head still tends to cause a reaction. The time spent outdoors surrounded by clouds of insects is enriched greatly by other nocturnal creatures- flying squirrels that glide down from the tree canopy, the yipping of coyotes, chattering of racoons, the resounding calls of owls nearby, and the many toads and frogs that show up to dine on the insects. There are so many species of moths that many remain unidentified right here in the United States. We’ve given names to stars that are light-years away, but we’ve yet to identify all of the moth species on our own planet.
So began my quest to learn more about these fascinating insects. I obtained hard to find field guides, and am slow-w-w-l-y learning to identify some of the species. What started out as a hobby quickly developed into a comprehensive search into the life histories of these insects. Another intriguing facet of this area of lepidoptery is the common names given to moths. Names like ‘Joyful Holomelina, Faithful Beauty, Sad Underwing, The Beggar, The Infant, The Betrothed’ and so many more, are all as fascinating to me as the moth itself.
Mothing is definitely not limited to evenings, since moth larva are actively searching for their host plants during the daylight hours and a place to spin their cocoons. The caterpillars of eastern forests to me are as equally beautiful as the adult moth. Some species are equipped with large spines that cause an allergic and sometimes painful reaction when touched. Many species of moths are diurnal, and some of them are so small that they’re easily mistaken for tiny butterflies or even a hummingbird or a bee- until you take a closer look.
In late summer I hang sheets & a blacklight further out into the woods. I have used sugarbaiting, which brings in some species not normally attracted to light, but since we’ve had black bears in the area I’ve decided that’s not a very wise move on my part. Since our lights disrupt the natural breeding cycle of moths, I switch them off periodically to let them do their thing. I do not collect specimens, as I do not have the time nor the knowledge to do so.
(And if you’re wondering about the website domain name, I’m not ashamed to admit that I have danced with moths. ;)
*Note: the moth photo indexes are still down and it will be awhile before I am able to get those pages up and running again. Until then, you can view many of the moths I’ve photographed here. Thanks for your patience*