Congrats to Elizabeth Hilkemann, a grade school insect enthusiast, who photographed a Yellow-lined Owlet Moth in southern Lancaster County. This is the first report of this species in the state. Literature lists Willows (Salix sp.) as a likely larval host plant. Mom Laura reports willows to be common in the area. Willows are one ofContinue reading “New Moth For State”
Author Archives: hpahaska
Monarchs on 60 Minutes
Just a quick heads up – Monarch butterflies will be featured on CBS’s 60 Minutes this coming Sunday (Easter Sunday. Here is the CBS teaser. Be set to record it if you can’t watch live.
More New Moths (Again)
James Adams contacted me regarding some additional moths they had found on their road trip through Nebraska last summer (see Feb 6 post). As a result of his previous communication five new moth species were added to Nebraska’s known moth list. In his latest communication five more species are added to our state list. AllContinue reading “More New Moths (Again)”
Good News (sorta) and Trees Useful to Lepidoptera
WWF has reported that the number of Monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico this past winter (2024-2025) has roughly doubled from the previous year (2023-2024). But before we pop the champagne corks realize that 2023-2024 population was the second lowest on record, so the bar was set pretty low. Read all about it here. Also inContinue reading “Good News (sorta) and Trees Useful to Lepidoptera”
More New Moths
The other day I got an email from Colin Croft who resides in the Scotts Bluff area and is an avid observer of the natural world (including Lepidoptera). Colin had connected with Chuck Harp (curator of the insect collection at Colorado State University in Fort Collins) and sent him some moths to identify. Chuck identifiedContinue reading “More New Moths”
Plants for our Insect Friends
Several days of snow and sub-zero temperatures (not to mention “brisk” breezes) were bringing on a case of the winter blahs. Then I open my email and there’s a Nebraska Statewide Arboretum newsletter. Pictures of green things – instant cheer! Then it gets better. There is a Zoom presentation March 13 on the importance ofContinue reading “Plants for our Insect Friends”
James and Brian’s Excellent Adventure
On pages 185-193 of the 2024 winter edition of News of the Lepidopterists’ Society (vol 66 #4) James Adams and Brian Scholtens documented the first leg of their Lepidoptera field trip through Nebraska, the Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska (again) and Kansas this past summer. The first four pages (185-188) document in text and photosContinue reading “James and Brian’s Excellent Adventure”
2024 Moth Finds
In 2024 Lepidoptera enthusiasts found six previously unreported species in the state. Moth savant Mark Brogie added three new species from his residence in Creighton (Knox County) – a Four-dotted Agonopterix, Aethes baloghi and a Milky Plume Moth. sageraine (iNaturalist) reported a White-spotted Cankerworm Moth in Lincoln (Lancaster County). Colin Croft attracted a Lethal PyraustaContinue reading “2024 Moth Finds”
Correction/Addendum
In case you missed the comment, Casey Galvin reached out to provide more accurate information on the populations of Diana Fritillaries from whence the male Lori photographed likely strayed. It turns out there are no resident populations of the Diana Fritillary in Missouri (as I had stated), instead the nearest are in northwest Arkansas/northeast Oklahoma.Continue reading “Correction/Addendum”
Thanks to All!!
What a great 2024! I’d like to extend a thank you to everyone contributing records and expand our understanding of Nebraska’s diverse Lepidopteran fauna. On the butterfly side one state record and ten county records were found/submitted. Lori Tomes had the find of the year when she photographed this male Diana Fritillary in Saunders CountyContinue reading “Thanks to All!!”