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| Field Trip Report: Night Bugs! Fox Ridge State Park July 22, 2006 We had a great
turnout (by both people and bugs - 40 to 60 people and 1000's of bugs)
at our 3rd annual Night Bugs!
event. Many thanks to Fox Ridge's intern Tyler Sims for a
great job in helping to arrange and advertise the event. Thanks
also to Terry Harrison
and Michael Goodrich for helping to identify the cool bugs that came
into
the lights.
*If anyone wants to provide more
complete identification or corrections for any of the below items, Highlights included an antlion, a longhorn beetle, an owlfly, and some really interesting and beautiful moths. See below for some pictures of some of what we saw. feel free to contact the club by email* |
 smaller Parasa
(Parasa chloris, Limacodidae) |
 Tortricidia flexuosa (Limacodidae)
|
 False crocus geometer
(Xanthotype uricaria, Geometridae) |
 Common gray (Anavitrinella pampinaria, Geometridae) |
 Geometridae sp.
|
 Hag moth
(Phobetron pithecium, Limacodidae) |
 Banded tussock moth
(Halysidota tesselaris, Arctiidae) |
 Banded tussock moth
(Halysidota
tesselaris, Arctiidae)
|
 White-dotted prominent
(Nadata gibbosa, Notodontidae) |
 Crambus
agitatellus
Crambidae |
 Callima
argenticinctella
Oecophoridae |
 Microcrambus
elegans
Crambidae |
 Three-spotted fillip
(Heterophelps triguttata, Geometridae) |
 Spotted scarab beetle
|
 June beetle
Scarabaeidae |
 Longhorn beetle
Cerambycidae |
 Crane fly
Tipulidae |
 Spider
|
 Antlion
Dendroleon obsoetus Antlions (Order Neuroptera, Family Myrmeleontidae) are often mistaken for dragonflies but can be distinguished by their larger antennae and their delicate wings. Dragonfly antennae are just short bristles and their wings are stiffer and more robust. |
 Antlion
Dendroleon obsoetus A whole-body photo of the same
antlion. Antlion larvae are more frequently seen than the adults. Their
larvae make little cone-shaped traps in sand or dust, with the point of
the cone going down into the substrate. When ants or other small
insects stumble into the hole, they have difficulty getting out because
of the crumbly walls. The larva helps things by tossing bits of
soil or sand at the insect until it falls close enough for the larva to
grab with its sharp pincers.
|
 Owlfly
Ululodes sp. Owlflies are closely related to
antlions but placed in a different family (Ascalaphidae). Like
antlions, their larvae are predators but the larvae do not dig
pits. Instead, they hide in debris and wait for prey to come
near. The adults closely resemble dragonflies but can be
distinguished easily by the large, clubbed antennae.
|
 Owlfly
Ululodes sp. Another photo of this same
owlfly. Note the neat eyes which shone in the camera flash.
Owlflies are not very common here so this was a neat treat - too bad it
came too late for most people to see!
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