Mothapalooza 2019

From July 8-18, 2019, we took four and a half days to get to Mothapalooza 2019 held at the Shawnee Lodge and Conference Center near Portsmouth Ohio. The drive from New Mexico to Ohio took us through Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky; the return trip was two days quicker and added Indiana and Kansas. Along the way, we overnighted in Tulsa OK, Springfield MO, Giant City State Park IL, and Frankfort KY, and on the return in Lawrence KS and Clinton OK. We'd stop along the way looking for butterflies in various spots, and had fun spending a little time driving around Carbondale IL, I'd last seen almost 50 years ago attending SIU. Entertaining time in Frankfort KY, too, where a bartender refused to serve us mint juleps (traditionally only a possibility during Kentucky Derby week apparently). The place also turned out to be the local watering hole for apparently all the Democrats in the State including the mayor, who told us where to go look for butterflies the next morning. Most of the pictures below (and all of the moths) were taken there in Ohio; the rest from various stops along the way.

The only lifer butterfly for the trip was the Regal Fritillary, a rarely seen species currently under review as as a threatened or endangered species. We finally saw one briefly in one of several remnant tallgrass prairie areas we searched in Missouri. A target of our trip, we'd search again unsuccessfully in an area in Kansas a friend of ours reported seeing a good number a few weeks earlier. The Mothapalooza was as much fun as the last one in 2017, and great staying in one of the big cabins this time. Every night a number of the cabins would put up their white sheets and fancy UV lights to draw in some amazing moths, and there were plenty of experts around to help identify them.

Click on any of the thumbnails for the full sized image.

Odonates

Eastern Amberwing
[Perithemis tenera]

Eastern Pondhawk
[Erythemis simplicicollis]

Banded Pennant
[Celithemis fasciata]

Halloween Pennant
[Celithemis eponina]

Widow Skimmer
[Libellula luctuosa]

Ebony Jewelwing
[Calopteryx maculata]

Ebony Jewelwing
[Calopteryx maculata]

Ebony Jewelwing
[Calopteryx maculata]

Butterflies

Pipevine Swallowtail
[Battus philenor]

Black Swallowtail
[Papilio polyxenes]

Black Swallowtail
[Papilio polyxenes]

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
[Papilio glaucuss]

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
[Papilio glaucus]

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
[Papilio glaucus]

Spicebush Swallowtail
[Papilio troilus]

Orange Sulphur
[Colias eurytheme]

Sleepy Orange
[Abaeis nicippe]

Juniper Hairstreak
[Callophrys gryneus]

Eastern Tailed-Blue
[Cupido comyntas]

Spring Azure
[Celastrina ladon]

Monarch
[Danaus gilippus]

Common Wood-Nymph
[Cercyonis pegala]

Common Wood-Nymph
[Cercyonis pegala]

Carolina Satyr
[Hermeuptychia sosybius]

Little Wood Satyr
[Megisto cymela]

Great Spangled Fritillary
[Speyeria cybele]

Great Spangled Fritillary
[Speyeria cybele]

Regal Fritillary
[Speyeria idalia]

Red-spotted Purple
[Limenitis arthemis]

Red-spotted Purple
[Limenitis arthemis]

Red-spotted Purple
[Limenitis arthemis]

Hackberry Emperor
[Asterocampa celtis]

Hackberry Emperor
[Asterocampa celtis]

Tawny Emperor
[Asterocampa clyton]

Tawny Emperor
[Asterocampa clyton]

Tawny Emperor
[Asterocampa clyton]

Red Admiral
[Vanessa atalanta]

Question Mark
[Polygonia interrogationis]

Question Mark
[Polygonia interrogationis]

Eastern Comma
[Polygonia comma]

Eastern Comma
[Polygonia comma]

Eastern Comma
[Polygonia comma]

Pearl Crescent
[Phyciodes tharos]

Southern Cloudywing
[Thorybes bathyllus]

Southern Cloudywing
[Thorybes bathyllus]

Horace's Duskywing
[Erynnis horatius]

Horace's Duskywing
[Erynnis horatius]

Funereal Duskywing
[Erynnis funeralis]

Fiery Skipper
[Hylephila phyleus]

Sachem
[Atalopedes campestris]

Sachem
[Atalopedes campestris]

Delaware Skipper?
[Anatrytone logan]

Moths

Robin's Carpenterworm
[Prionoxystus robiniae]

Robin's Carpenterworm
[Prionoxystus robiniae]

Spiny Oak-Slug Moth
[Euclea delphinii]

Spiny Oak-Slug Moth
[Euclea delphinii]

Hebrew & Spiny Oak-Slug Moth
[Polygrammate hebraeicum & Euclea delphinii]

Smaller Parasa
[Parasa chloris]

Black-waved Flannel Moth
[Lagoa crispata]

Black-waved Flannel Moth
[Lagoa crispata]

Basswood Leafroller
[Pantographa limata]

Basswood Leafroller
[Pantographa limata]

Basswood Leafroller
[Pantographa limata]

Grape Leaffolder
[Desmia funeralis]

Spotted Apatelodes
[Apatelodes torrefacta]

Regal Moth
[Citheronia regalis]

Imperial Moth
[Eacles imperialis]

Imperial Moth
[Eacles imperialis]

Rosy Maple Moth
[Dryocampa rubicunda]

Rosy Maple Moth
[Dryocampa rubicunda]

Io Moth
[Automeris io]

Io Moth
[Automeris io]

Polyphemus Moth
[Antheraea polyphemus]

Polyphemus Moth
[Antheraea polyphemus]

Polyphemus Moth
[Antheraea polyphemus]

Polyphemus Moth
[Antheraea polyphemus]

Luna Moth
[Actias luna]

Luna Moth
[Actias luna]

Luna Moth
[Actias luna]

Tulip-tree Silkmoth
[Callosamia anguilifera]

Tulip-tree Silkmoth
[Callosamia anguilifera]

Laurel Sphinx
[Sphinx kalmiae]

Laurel Sphinx
[Sphinx kalmiae]

Laurel Sphinx
[Sphinx kalmiae]

Blinded Sphinx
[Paonias excaecata]

Walnut Sphinx Moth
[Amorpha juglandis]

Snowberry Clearwing
[Hemaris diffinis]

Pandorus Sphinx
[Eumorpha pandorus]

Virginia Creeper Sphinx
[Darapsa myron]

Virginia Creeper Sphinx
[Darapsa myron]

Virginia Creeper Sphinx
[Darapsa myron]

Azalea Sphinx
[Darapsa choerilus]

Lesser Grapevine Looper
[Eulithis diversilineata]

Lesser Grapevine Looper
[Eulithis diversilineata]

The Beggar
[Eubaphe mendica]

Wavy-lined Emerald
[Synchlora aerata]

Wavy-lined Emerald
[Synchlora aerata]

Lesser Maple Spanworm
[Macaria pusularia]

Lesser Maple Spanworm
[Macaria pusularia]

Dotted Grey
[Glena cribrataria]

Bent-line Gray
[Iridopsis larvaria]

Tulip-tree Beauty
[Epimecis hortaria]

Tulip-tree Beauty
[Epimecis hortaria]

Tulip-tree Beauty
[Epimecis hortaria]

Oak Besma
[Eudryas grata]Besma quercivoraria

Georgia Prominent
[Hyperaeschra georgica]

White Furcula
[Furcula borealis]

Yellow-necked Caterpillar Moth
[Datana ministra]

Yellow-necked Caterpillar Moth
[Datana ministra]

Yellow-necked Caterpillar Moth
[Datana ministra]

Giant Leopard Moth
[Ecpantheria scribonia]

Giant Leopard Moth
[Ecpantheria scribonia]

Clymene Moth
[Haploa clymene]

Banded Tussock Moth
[Halysidota tessellaris]

Gray-edged Snout
[Hypena madefactalis]

Black Witch
[Ascalapha odorata]

Ilia Underwing
[Catocala ilia]

Ilia Underwing
[Catocala ilia]

Glorious Habrosyne
[Habrosyne gloriosa]

Lunate Zale
[Zale lunata]

Red-lined Panopoda[Panopoda rufimargo]

Eyed Paectes
[Paectes oculatrix]

Beautiful Wood-Nymph
[Eudryas grata]

Beautiful Wood-Nymph
[Eudryas grata]

Beautiful Wood-Nymph
[Eudryas grata]

Beautiful Wood-Nymph
[Eudryas grata]

Green Leuconycta
[Leuconycta diphteriodes]

TBD Moths

P1100330

P1100349

P1100362

P1100375

P1100537

Other Pictures

Dickcissel

Dickcissel

Dickcissel

Green Heron

Henslow's Sparrow

Eastern Collared Lizard

Eastern Collared Lizard

Hercules Beetle

GrapevineBeetle

Grapevine Beetle

Longhorn Beetle

Spotted Giant Lacewing

Owlfly

Owlfly

Tachinid Fly

Cicada

Cicada

Cicada

Cicada

Caterpillar

Caterpillar
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