Yes, it’s Tuesday; but I was on a plane and then pretty jet lagged yesterday. Anyway, today’s moth is one from my Salton Sea trip two weekends ago. These moths were common on every built up surface in every campground. Best guess is that this is Perizoma custodiata, Hodges# 7328.
Mecca Beach Campground, Salton Sea, 2009-03-21
Many-spotted Angle Moth, Hodges #6395, Digrammia irrorata
William R. Mason Regional Park, 2008-03-05
Pseudoschinia elautalis, Hodges#4828
I found this one in the shower at Agua Caliente County Park, which is built at hot springs in the desert. Kudos to John Lee for the ID.
The moths are starting to wake up from the brief Southern California winter (Actually, some never went to sleep, but they didn’t make good pictures.) so let’s see what’s on the memory card. First up we have a beautiful Unciella primula from the Tamarisk Grove Campground in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park:
Unciella primula – Hodges#10111
This seems to be a little known and perhaps uncommon species. This was BugGuide’s first record, and the first live image for the Moth Photographers Group. I have not been able to find much information about it. Butterflies and moths of North America doesn’t list any records. It is in the California Moth Specimens Database under its previous name, Oncocnemis primula.
Spring comes early in Southern California. Still this lepidopteran is a year-round visitor. I found it in the cabinet where I keep my bird seed, pet food, and other dry goods. Fortunately it seems to be a singleton since the caterpillars of this species can do real damage to such products (hence the name).
Indian Meal Moth, Hodges#6019 Plodia interpunctella
Irvine, California, 2009-02-09
Thanks to Charley Eiseman for the ID.
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Fox Squirrel, Sciurus niger
Huntington Central Park, 2009-01-03
