Subject: How do you pose an underwing moth?

From: [email-masked] (Terry Morse)
Date: Mon, 3 Apr 1995 16:42:25

Can anyone suggest non-injurious ways to get an underwing moth resting 
during the daytime to spread its wings so I can photograph the hindwing 
pattern?

  I recently saw and photographed an attractive medium-pale green moth, 
which I am pretty sure is an underwing.  Its body is approximately 2cm long.  
With wings folded over the back, the pattern on the forewings is predominately 
wavy thick black lines widely spaced so that plenty of green shows through.  
There are thick white lines immediately adjacent to some of the black lines, 
and incidental additional black and white marks on the forewings.  As 
strikingly patterned as the moth is, I expected it would be simple to identify 
from the photographs in _The Moth Book_, by Holland, but not so.  I am in 
Oregon, on the north Pacific coast of the USA.

  Does this description ring a bell with anyone?  If someone can answer my 
first question above, I will get a description of the hindwings, as well (I've 
got the moth in captivity for the moment, but am anxious to let it go today).

  Thanks for any help you can offer.

--Terry
Terry Morse
[email-masked]
*********************************************************************
The Endangered Species Act doesn't need to be balanced by economic
considerations; the Endangered Species Act _is_ the balance.
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From: Christopher Wood <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 1995 02:34:57 -0700

Please ignore name in header.  This message is from:
Rod Crawford, Burke Museum, University of Washington.

Terry Morse recently wrote:

> [etc., rest deleted]

Terry, your green noctuid was most probably a member of the genus 
Feralia.  Two species are common in western Washington and western 
Oregon, F. comstocki (illustrated in Covell's "Eastern Moths" Peterson 
field guide) and the introduced F. deceptiva, which looks similar overall 
but differs in noticeable details.  The hindwings are whitish, not 
brightly colored as in underwing moths.  As someone else said, you are 
not likely to see the latter until later in the summer.

PS. to John Clayton and others who commented on the newsgroup contents:  
Yes, a general entomology newsgroup will soon go to the vote (the call 
for votes will appear here, among other places).  The only reason it has 
not already appeared is that the Usenet Volunteer Votetakers have a backlog.

Yrs, Rod Crawford
[email-masked]

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From: Gerry Rising <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 6 Apr 1995 08:54:47 -0400

> during the daytime to spread its wings so I can photograph the hindwing

Terry, I just checked my copy of Theodore Sargent, LEGION OF NIGHT: THE
UNDERWING MOTHS (well worth obtaining) and found no help for you. He
focusses entirely on collecting. Sorry. I hope others will be more help.

Regards, Gerry

Gerry Rising                                  phone: 716-689-8301
295 Robinhill Drive                        messages: 716-645-3175
Williamsville, NY 14221-1639                    fax: 716-645-3161
---- e-mail: [email-masked] or [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Terry Morse)
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 1995 08:23:30

>[email-masked]

Rod:

  I looked at the photo of _Feralia comstocki_ in Covell.  The green of the 
forewing is about right, but the pattern of markings isn't (I may not have 
described them very well in my original post).

  My moth had thick black and white lines on the forewings, rather than the 
thick, dark bars or patches on _F. comstocki_.  With the forewings folded in 
repose, the transverse lines were approximately bell-shaped.  The hind most 
black line had a similar white line immediately above it, the next black line 
up did not, and one about midway up the folded wings also had a matching white 
line above it (I am reconstructing this from memory, since I let the moth go 
and haven't had my photos developed yet).  There were also miscellaneous dark 
spots and blotches on the forewings and dorsal thorax, plus a couple large, 
irregular, roughly rectangular, dull white patches running lengthwise along 
the middle section of the FW costal margin.

  I only got a fleeting glimpse of the hindwings; the little bit I saw 
appeared dull grayish brown and was not conspicuous as the moth flew away.

  Does this ring any bells for anyone?

Thanks,
Terry
Terry Morse
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Terry Morse)
Date: Thu, 6 Apr 1995 14:51:42

>Gerry Rising                                 

  I bought a copy of _Legion of the Night Yesterday_.  Perusal of that and 
_The Moth Book_, plus advice from an entomologist, convinces me that the moth 
was probably _not_ an underwing.  Noctuidae is possible.

  Dave Nunnallee, based on his experience photographing butterflies, suggested 
varying the lighting and temperature around the butterfly, since butterflies 
vary their wing position to thermoregulate.  He wasn't sure whether this would 
work with moths, and another entomologist who contacted me thought it probably 
wouldn't.

  Ken Philip suggested cooling the moth in a refrigerator, then pinning the 
wings open with fine insect pins just long enough to take the photos.  Using 
fine pins, and with suitable care, this shouldn't injure the moth.

  Since I released the moth before receiving these suggestions, I will have to 
try them next time around.

  Thanks to Gerry and the others who replied.

--Terry 
Terry Morse
[email-masked]