Author Archives: hpahaska

Early last year (2/6/2025) I posted a note documenting the travels of Drs. James Adams and Brian Schlotten through Nebraska. One stop they made was at Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area where Dr. Adams had previously found the first Nebraska record of the flower moth Schinia bimatris. I’d always wanted to go there and lookContinue reading “Mothing Master Class”

Back in the early 1970s The Wedge Entomological Research Foundation was formed and undertook an ambitious project to document/illustrate all the moth species found in North America in a series of publications (fascicles). These publications became known as MONA (Moths of North America) fascicles. As expert authors needed to be found (and specimens gathered toContinue reading “MONA Fascicles now available to download as PDFs”

Earlier this summer (June 11) Steve Spomer set up some lights in Nemaha County at Indian Cave State Park. Among the insects attracted to his lights was a Hermit Sphinx. The five Nebraska records for this eastern sphinx are the westernmost in North America. Larvae feed on mints and beebalms. A great find of anContinue reading “New Butterfly and Moth Records”

Elizabeth Hilkemann has found another moth previously unreported from the state (her second this year). On June 20 and again on June 26 she found two plume moths she thought looked “suspicious”. She sent them to Dr. Deborah Matthews (a plume moth expert) at the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity at the University ofContinue reading ““New” Moth found in Nebraska”

One of the exciting things about setting up lights at night to attract insects is that there is always a good chance you will see something you’ve never seen before. This was the case the evening/early morning of July 2/3 at the Niobrara Valley Preserve in Brown County. As is becoming tradition on the eveContinue reading “Never Seen That Before + They Only Come Out At Night”

On 10am on July 3 six intrepid counters (Chris and Kim Helzer, Jonathan Nikkila, Carolyn Phillips, David Crites and Neil Dankert) set out on the 39th annual Butterfly Count at the Niobrara Valley Preserve located in Brown, Keya Paha and Cherry Counties. The Helzers, Jonathan and Neil arrived the night before to set up someContinue reading “2026 Niobrara Valley Preserve Butterfly Count Results”

Eli Weber is spending his summer doing moth surveys at NU’s Cedar Point Biological Station below Lake McConaughy in Keith County. He has found two species previously not documented in Nebraska. The first is “The Mutant” (Anarta mutata). Richard Rosche listed this moth in his 1988 NE Moths listing without providing details. So, without otherContinue reading “Two “New” Moths”

Every year several individuals I know repeatedly make amazing butterfly and moth finds. When making inquiries I often find their discoveries were attracted to baits. And every year I tell myself I’m going to try that. Bait recipes are often closely guarded but Colin Croft has graciously agreed to share his “recipe”. His “guest blog”Continue reading “Baiting for Moths”

It’s been a productive early spring for Nebraska moth enthusiasts. Three species have been added to our states moth list in the past week. Two new species were among the moths Colin Croft attracted to lights on April 7 in Scotts Bluff County. The first Egira rubrica is western in distribution with Colin’s record beingContinue reading “Three Moths New to Nebraska”