NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, Aug. 13, 2018 (Monday)
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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
Transcript by: David Christie maryspt@mac.com
Info Line # 506-384-6397
(384-NEWS)
** Jane LeBlanc
recently shared a photo of a bug predating a MONARCH [Monarque] butterfly
caterpillar. We felt it to be a STINK BUG [punaise des bois] species. Delayed
response from BugGuide, as well feels that’s what it is, but not with
certainty. The photo is re-posted today.
** I came across a large patch of
blooming SPREADING DOGBANE [Herbe à la puce] and stopped to check it for
butterflies on Sunday. The plants were crawling with bees of various species,
but attention was caught by what first appeared to be hummingbird moths, until
I noted that they were too large for hummingbird moths and soon realized they
were Bedstraw Hawk Moths, a.k.a. GALIUM SPHINX [Sphinx du gaillet] moths. I
suspect there were at least four of them, if not more. I had been watching for
this species for many years and never found them. The literature says they fly
from dusk to dawn. These obviously never read the books, as they were nectaring
in brilliant sun and very warm temperature. It seems like a coincidence that
Phil Riebel and Nancy Mullin both came across this moth and got photos over the
past week in Miramichi and Quarryville. The ones I came across were at Bartibog
Bridge, just north of Miramichi. It seems unusual that this normally
hard-to-locate moth was spotted at three different locations in a week. Are
there more of them this year, or just coincidental sightings?
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
BEDSTRAW HAWKMOTH AKA GALLIUM SPHINX MOTH. AUG 12, 2018. NELSON POIRIER
STINKBUG PREDATING MONARCH BUTTERFLY CATERPILLAR. AUG 9, 2018. JANE LeBLANC
