ENT 532 Fall 2024: Early Morning Moths - Powdermill Nature Reserve

Outside Abernethy house, appx 7:30am. Woke up and checked the light trap that has been sitting out since 9pm last night. Saw lots of micromoths, caddisflies, and leafhoppers. I also observed a jumping spider snacking on a small moth. If we left the trap out for longer, would more spiders come? Seems like an easy meal. There were some large sphinx moths and a large underwing on the trap. I picked them up one by one and hung them on my shirt like jewelry. They barely moved, because they were so cold. The noctuid (underwing) started rapidly beating/vibrating its wings to warm up. I collected it + a sphinx moth and put the rest on a beat sheet in the sun to warm up, waiting to see how long it took before they warmed up and flew away (I had to pack up and leave before I could see them take flight, but they hung out for at least half an hour). All the moths I saw were female, as indicated by the lack of plumose antennae. I bet insects make an easy meal first thing in the morning. Maybe that's why many insectivorous birds are most active in the early morning, because their prey is slower. Early bird gets the ... moth?

Associated specimens in the Frost Museum: PSUC_ENT532_2024_0075, PSUC_ENT532_2024_0059

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Work Title ENT 532 Fall 2024: Early Morning Moths - Powdermill Nature Reserve
Access
Open Access
Creators
  1. Nina Devine
License CC BY 4.0 (Attribution)
Work Type Image
Publication Date September 23, 2024
DOI doi:10.26207/h938-hh34
Geographic Area
  1. USA: PA: Westmoreland County, Powdermill Nature Reserve
Deposited September 23, 2024

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Version 1
published

  • Created
  • Updated
  • Updated Description, Publication Date Show Changes
    Description
    • Taken around 7:30 am at Abernethy House. Collected these moths off of a light trap that had been hanging all night.
    Publication Date
    • 2024-09-23
  • Added Creator Nina Devine
  • Updated License Show Changes
    License
    • https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
  • Added IMG_6336.JPG
  • Published
  • Updated

Version 2
published

  • Created
  • Updated Work Title Show Changes
    Work Title
    • Early Morning Moths - Powdermills
    • Early Morning Moths - Powdermill Nature Reserve
  • Updated Description Show Changes
    Description
    • Taken around 7:30 am at Abernethy House. Collected these moths off of a light trap that had been hanging all night.
    • Outside Abernethy house, appx 7:30am. Woke up and checked the light trap that has been sitting out since 9pm last night. Saw lots of micromoths, caddisflies, and leafhoppers. I also observed a jumping spider snacking on a small moth. If we left the trap out for longer, would more spiders come? Seems like an easy meal. There were some large sphinx moths and a large underwing on the trap. I picked them up one by one and hung them on my shirt like jewelry. They barely moved, because they were so cold. The noctuid (underwing) started rapidly beating/vibrating its wings to warm up. I collected it + a sphinx moth and put the rest on a beat sheet in the sun to warm up, waiting to see how long it took before they warmed up and flew away (I had to pack up and leave before I could see them take flight, but they hung out for at least half an hour). All the moths I saw were female, as indicated by the lack of plumose antennae. I bet insects make an easy meal first thing in the morning. Maybe that's why many insectivorous birds are most active in the early morning, because their prey is slower. Early bird gets the ... moth?
  • Updated Geographic Area Show Changes
    Geographic Area
    • USA: PA: Westmoreland County, Powdermill Nature Reserve
  • Published

Version 3
published

  • Created
  • Updated Description Show Changes
    Description
    • Outside Abernethy house, appx 7:30am. Woke up and checked the light trap that has been sitting out since 9pm last night. Saw lots of micromoths, caddisflies, and leafhoppers. I also observed a jumping spider snacking on a small moth. If we left the trap out for longer, would more spiders come? Seems like an easy meal. There were some large sphinx moths and a large underwing on the trap. I picked them up one by one and hung them on my shirt like jewelry. They barely moved, because they were so cold. The noctuid (underwing) started rapidly beating/vibrating its wings to warm up. I collected it + a sphinx moth and put the rest on a beat sheet in the sun to warm up, waiting to see how long it took before they warmed up and flew away (I had to pack up and leave before I could see them take flight, but they hung out for at least half an hour). All the moths I saw were female, as indicated by the lack of plumose antennae. I bet insects make an easy meal first thing in the morning. Maybe that's why many insectivorous birds are most active in the early morning, because their prey is slower. Early bird gets the ... moth?
    • Outside Abernethy house, appx 7:30am. Woke up and checked the light trap that has been sitting out since 9pm last night. Saw lots of micromoths, caddisflies, and leafhoppers. I also observed a jumping spider snacking on a small moth. If we left the trap out for longer, would more spiders come? Seems like an easy meal. There were some large sphinx moths and a large underwing on the trap. I picked them up one by one and hung them on my shirt like jewelry. They barely moved, because they were so cold. The noctuid (underwing) started rapidly beating/vibrating its wings to warm up. I collected it + a sphinx moth and put the rest on a beat sheet in the sun to warm up, waiting to see how long it took before they warmed up and flew away (I had to pack up and leave before I could see them take flight, but they hung out for at least half an hour). All the moths I saw were female, as indicated by the lack of plumose antennae. I bet insects make an easy meal first thing in the morning. Maybe that's why many insectivorous birds are most active in the early morning, because their prey is slower. Early bird gets the ... moth?
    • Associated specimens: PSUC_ENT532_2024_0075, PSUC_ENT532_2024_0059
  • Updated Description Show Changes
    Description
    • Outside Abernethy house, appx 7:30am. Woke up and checked the light trap that has been sitting out since 9pm last night. Saw lots of micromoths, caddisflies, and leafhoppers. I also observed a jumping spider snacking on a small moth. If we left the trap out for longer, would more spiders come? Seems like an easy meal. There were some large sphinx moths and a large underwing on the trap. I picked them up one by one and hung them on my shirt like jewelry. They barely moved, because they were so cold. The noctuid (underwing) started rapidly beating/vibrating its wings to warm up. I collected it + a sphinx moth and put the rest on a beat sheet in the sun to warm up, waiting to see how long it took before they warmed up and flew away (I had to pack up and leave before I could see them take flight, but they hung out for at least half an hour). All the moths I saw were female, as indicated by the lack of plumose antennae. I bet insects make an easy meal first thing in the morning. Maybe that's why many insectivorous birds are most active in the early morning, because their prey is slower. Early bird gets the ... moth?
    • Associated specimens: PSUC_ENT532_2024_0075, PSUC_ENT532_2024_0059
    • Associated specimens in the Frost Museum: PSUC_ENT532_2024_0075, PSUC_ENT532_2024_0059
  • Published
  • Updated
  • Updated Work Title Show Changes
    Work Title
    • Early Morning Moths - Powdermill Nature Reserve
    • ENT 532 Fall 2024: Early Morning Moths - Powdermill Nature Reserve
  • Updated Description Show Changes
    Description
    • Outside Abernethy house, appx 7:30am. Woke up and checked the light trap that has been sitting out since 9pm last night. Saw lots of micromoths, caddisflies, and leafhoppers. I also observed a jumping spider snacking on a small moth. If we left the trap out for longer, would more spiders come? Seems like an easy meal. There were some large sphinx moths and a large underwing on the trap. I picked them up one by one and hung them on my shirt like jewelry. They barely moved, because they were so cold. The noctuid (underwing) started rapidly beating/vibrating its wings to warm up. I collected it + a sphinx moth and put the rest on a beat sheet in the sun to warm up, waiting to see how long it took before they warmed up and flew away (I had to pack up and leave before I could see them take flight, but they hung out for at least half an hour). All the moths I saw were female, as indicated by the lack of plumose antennae. I bet insects make an easy meal first thing in the morning. Maybe that's why many insectivorous birds are most active in the early morning, because their prey is slower. Early bird gets the ... moth?
    • Associated specimens in the Frost Museum: PSUC_ENT532_2024_0075, PSUC_ENT532_2024_0059
    • Associated specimens in the Frost Museum: PSUC\_ENT532\_2024\_0075, PSUC\_ENT532\_2024\_0059