Diario de hkmoths

never knew there were so many genera in Hesperiidae, nor that there is such a large higher taxonomy - so many subfamilies and tribes.
I've waded my way through 100+ genera so far, placing to tribe (where possible) for the i-Nat database, and still have 160+ genera (for those already on the database) to go....

What I've found out - apart from a shed load of taxa, my body still has a long way to go before full recovery from last year's stroke is achieved. Still get exhausted far too quickly and can't type straight for very long.....

well now, it's been rather unseasonably warm over the last few days (cold front arriving Friday night will change that, though). Min temp on Tuesday night was a balmy 20°C - normally in single figures or low teens (°C) at this time of year. So out went the moth trap onto the roof . . . and by 06:00 (thereabouts) there were some 80 species of moth tucked away inside (or adjacent to) the trap. Photos of 15 species are linked. Of note were the large numbers of species normally not seen until the end of March (most of the Erebidae), as well as the univoltine sphingid Dahira rubiginosa, more often seen mid to late March.
Here's a full list....
BOMBYCIDAE Bombycinae Bombycini Trilocha varians
CRAMBIDAE Acentropinae Parapoynx diminutalis
CRAMBIDAE Crambinae Crambini Culladia hastiferalis
CRAMBIDAE Crambinae Crambini Pseudargyria interruptella
CRAMBIDAE Glaphyriinae Glaphyriini Hellula undalis
CRAMBIDAE Spilomelinae Cnaphalocrocis poeyalis
CRAMBIDAE Spilomelinae Diasemia accalis
CRAMBIDAE Spilomelinae Filodes fulvidorsalis
CRAMBIDAE Spilomelinae Herpetogramma cynaralis
CRAMBIDAE Spilomelinae Herpetogramma licarsisalis
CRAMBIDAE Spilomelinae Spoladea recurvalis
EREBIDAE Anobinae Anobini Rema costimacula
EREBIDAE Arctiinae Lithosiini - Lithosiina Brunia antica
EREBIDAE Arctiinae Lithosiini - Eugoa generic group Eugoa brunnea
EREBIDAE Arctiinae Lithosiini - Eugoa generic group Neoduma kuangtungensis
EREBIDAE Arctiinae Arctiini - Pericopina Nyctemera adversata
EREBIDAE Arctiinae Syntomini Syntomoides imaon
EREBIDAE Arctiinae Lithosiini - Lithosiina Tigrioides immaculata
EREBIDAE Calpinae Calpini Calyptra minuticornis
EREBIDAE Erebidae incertae sedis Blasticorhinus enervis
EREBIDAE Erebidae incertae sedis Chorsia albiscripta
EREBIDAE Erebinae Poaphilini Bastilla amygdalis
EREBIDAE Erebinae Poaphilini Buzara onelia
EREBIDAE Herminiinae Herminiini Hadennia jutalis
EREBIDAE Herminiinae Herminiini Nodaria externalis
EREBIDAE Herminiinae Herminiini Simplicia butesalis
EREBIDAE Hypeninae Mecistoptera group Acidon paradoxa
EREBIDAE Hypeninae Hypenini Hypena laceratalis
EREBIDAE Hypeninae Hypenini Hypena thermesialis
EREBIDAE Hypeninae Mecistoptera group Lophomilia takao
EREBIDAE Hypeninae Hypenini Lysimelia alstoni
EREBIDAE Hypeninae Hypenini Lysimelia lucida
EREBIDAE Hypenodinae Hypenodini Schrankia costaestrigalis
EREBIDAE Lymantriinae Nygmiini Orvasca subnotata
EREBIDAE Lymantriinae Orgyiini Pantana visum
EREBIDAE Lymantriinae Leucomini Perina nuda
EREBIDAE Rivulinae Rivulini Bocula diffisa
EREBIDAE Rivulinae Rivulini Bocula marginata
EUTELIIDAE Stictopterinae Stictopterini Stictoptera trajiciens
GEOMETRIDAE Ennominae Abraxini Abraxas amicula
GEOMETRIDAE Ennominae Hypochrosini Corymica arnearia
GEOMETRIDAE Ennominae Boarmiini Dasyboarmia subpilosa
GEOMETRIDAE Ennominae Boarmiini Ectropis bhurmitra
GEOMETRIDAE Ennominae Cassymini Hydatocapnia sp. A nr. gemina
GEOMETRIDAE Ennominae Boarmiini Hyposidra talaca
GEOMETRIDAE Ennominae Macariini Macaria abydata
GEOMETRIDAE Ennominae Obeidiini Percnia fumidaria
GEOMETRIDAE Ennominae Plutodini Plutodes costatus
GEOMETRIDAE Ennominae Plutodini Plutodes exquisita
GEOMETRIDAE Ennominae Pseudonadagara semicolor
GEOMETRIDAE Ennominae Cassymini Serratophyga subangulata
GEOMETRIDAE Geometrinae Comibaenini Berta chrysolineata
GEOMETRIDAE Geometrinae Hemitheini Hemithea tritonaria
GEOMETRIDAE Larentiinae Xanthorhoini Orthonama obstipata
GEOMETRIDAE Sterrhinae Sterrhini Idaea purpurea
NOCTUIDAE Condicinae Condicini Condica albigutta
NOCTUIDAE Condicinae Condicini Condica conducta
NOCTUIDAE Eriopinae Callopistria exotica
NOCTUIDAE Noctuinae Caradrinini - Athetiina Athetis bremusa
NOCTUIDAE Noctuinae Caradrinini - Athetiina Athetis cognata
NOCTUIDAE Noctuinae Leucaniini Mythimna reversa
NOCTUIDAE Plusiinae Argyrogrammatini Argyrogramma signata
NOCTUIDAE Plusiinae Argyrogrammatini Chrysodeixis eriosoma
NOLIDAE Nolinae Careina Calymera confinis
NOLIDAE Nolinae Sarrothripina Giaura multipunctata
NOLIDAE Nolinae Nolini Nola sp. F
NOTODONTIDAE Dicranurinae Dicranurini Stauropus alternus
OECOPHORIDAE Stathmopodinae Stathmopoda auriferella
PLUTELLIDAE Plutella xylostella
PYRALIDAE Phycitinae Phycitini Euzophora verrucicola
PYRALIDAE Phycitinae Phycitini Metallostichodes hemicautella
PYRALIDAE Phycitinae Phycitini Phycita cavifrons
PYRALIDAE Pyralinae Endotrichini Endotricha theonalis
PYRALIDAE Pyralinae Pyralini Ocrasa nonusalis
SPHINGIDAE Macroglossinae Macroglossini Dahira rubiginosa
TORTRICIDAE Olethreutinae Grapholitini Cryptophlebia repletana
TORTRICIDAE Olethreutinae Gatesclarkeanini Gatesclarkeana idia
TORTRICIDAE Tortricinae Archipini Adoxophyes privatana
TORTRICIDAE Tortricinae Archipini Neocalyptis affinisana

r.e. Celypha lacunana

Without a species authors field on species entries, life for i-Naturalists might be confusing.

Take the tortrix moth Celypha lacunana as an example.
Without knowing the authorship, one could be (as I have been) confused as to which species is actually being referred to.

let me explain (I hope not too many words for you!)

1. there are two lacunana species in Tortricidae, one is a North American species (author: Freeman, 1941), the other is European (inferred authorship is Denis & Schiffermuller, 1775).
2. the European lacunana has for a long time been placed in genus Celypa, whereas the North American lacunana is placed in the genus Olethreutes.
3. most North American taxonomists regard Celypha as a synonym of Olethreutes; which in a global context would mean that the European lacunana ought to be the senior homonym of lacunana Freeman. This is the point which confused me a while regarding the entries of lacunana on i-Nat, because without the species authors being visible, I didn't realise two different species were involved....
4. Some European taxonomists place lacunana [D&S] in the genus Syricoris - and this is the combination on the global Tortricidae database on Tortricid.net, which has two lacunana species - Syricoris lacunana [D&S, 1775] and Olethreutes lacunana (Freeman, 1941).
5. Presentation of these two species resulting from the search of lacunana gives a confusing image that the two species might be the same - my fried brain misinterpreted the search output in this manner.... ooops.

6. My thanks to Mick E Talbot for putting me straight . . .
   http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/201355

7. just in case someone doesn't know, the "Pond" is a colloquial name for the Atlantic Ocean....

Only the third night's moth recording at my "new" pad (moved in at the end of October) - a reasonable haul of 46 species; all photographed, thoughI've appended only some of the more photogenic or unusual species observed from last night's moth recording at home in Hong Kong (moth trap on the roof top, next to a mosaic of habitats, including fung shui woodland, secondary forest, grassland and abandoned agricultural land).

Always good to see Saturniidae, and whilst I was rather hoping to see the Indian Silk Moth (Saturnia pyretorum, actually expecting to see this as it only flies in January/February in Hong Kong and occurs at sites within 2km of my house) the Golden Emperor Moth (Loepa sp. c.f. sikkima) is always a welcome visitor....

Still recuperating somewhat following last April's stroke. Can't spend much time on the computer without the eyes giving up on me.
Managed to update some of the subfamily placements of genera for Bombycoidea and Noctuoidea today.

Been a while out of action following a stroke. Getting used to typing with a cover over one lens of my glasses as I've been left (hopefully temporarily) with double vision - makes typing really tricky! Hope to get more done soon once I recover my strength and energy (the latter is seriously impacted, I need a lot of sleep at the moment).

finished sorting out the higher taxonomy of the footman moths (Erebidae, Arctiinae, Lithosiini) and updating generic placements, especially as Alok has been getting his Indian moths put into the database, so having to play catch up with all the species placements....

All currently recognised subfamilies now in place, plus tribes for Saturniinae, with genera that were already on the iNat database now correctly placed, and a few extra species added

Taxonomy to subfamily level done, tribes for Lasiocampinae done.
Follows Holloway 2011 (Moths of Borneo part 2) and Powell & Opler 2009 (Moths of Western North America).

tried to upload the android iNat app to my phone today - not supported :(