Moths


NATL's moths are particularly well known because for five years (1996-2001) Hugo Kons surveyed the species that occur there. His report lists 489 species, including 464 species in the superfamilies Drepanoidea, Geometroidea, Mimalonoidea, Bombycoidea, Sphingoidea, and Noctuoidea. Taxa recorded in Psychidae, Yponomeutidae, Sesiidae, Cossidae, Zygaenoidea, and Thyrididae are also included. Moths were collected at ultraviolet lights, bait, introduced Bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum), and by netting specimens. A list of taxa recorded feeding on P. notatum is included.

Since 2001, the following species have been collected at the Natural Area Teaching Lab:

Pseudothyris sepulchralis (Thyrididae, Thyridinae) - collected on 3/5/2011, observed nectaring on Hog Plum
Psychomorpha epimenis (Noctuidae, Agaristinae) - collected on 3/4/2011, observed nectaring on Hog Plum


As part of her 2014 minigrant project, Elena Ortiz-Acevedo created Lepidopteran-host plant relationship signs that can be found throughout NATL. The signs listed below are for moth species. The butterfly signs can be found here.

Scientific name Common name
Actias luna (sign) Luna moth
Anteraea polyphemus (sign) Polyphemus moth
Automeris io (sign) Io moth
Manduca rustica (sign) Rustic sphinx
Hyles lineata (sign) White-lined sphinx
Utetheisa ornatrix (sign) Bella moth