Subject: Re: Baits and North American Lepidoptera

From: James Kruse <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 2 Apr 1996 08:42:27 CST

Mon, 1 Apr 1996  Jim Hanlon <[email-masked]>
>
> Love to hear about anyone elses experiences with baits, recipes, etc.
>
> Jim Hanlon
>
Hi,
    Can't resist, I am a strong believer in baits for Noctuid moths,
but they can be very effective in sampling butterflies that are not
normally found at flowers.  With a simple brown sugar/apple cider
vinegar mixture painted on trees (even just one or two trees in
your yard/garden if thats all you have) you can find: Polygonia
spp.(includes all 'comma' species and questionmarks), Nymphalis spp.
(includes mourning cloaks and Compton tortoiseshells), Vanessa
atalanta (red admiral), Limenitis astyanax (red spotted purple and
banded purple), Limenitis archippus (viceroy), and Enodia spp.
(pearly eyes).  I imagine our southern friends have quite a few more
that might be attracted.  Perhaps they can "bait a few trees" and let
us know...
    I've been asked about ants.  Yes, ants love this stuff.  If you
have a tree swarming with ants later in the day after baiting,
actually the best thing to do is to bait it again the next time.
This way, you are feeding the ants, and they do not go looking for
the other trees you have baited.  If you skip that tree, and bait
those around it, the ants will find those, and as you may know, ant
habits are hard to break :*)
    As for recipes, I think I've posted this before, but I have tried
a huge variety of sweeteners, alcohol, and fruits.  Really, close
enough to the best is the cheapest: 2lbs brown sugar per 6-8 oz apple
cider vinegar and a couple black-on-the-outside, bright-yellow-on-the-
inside bananas.  In a pinch, good bananas can be made this way by
placing them in your car in the sun for the afternoon.  Place them in
a plastic ziplock baggie, unless you like banana car freshener.

Cheers!
Jim Kruse

Dept Entomology
Univ Wisconsin
345 Russell Labs
1630 Linden Dr.
Madison, WI 53706
608-262-4755