Moth numbers improving?Slightly better last night with 8 moths of 5 species. There were 2 new backyard moths for the year, what I believe is a rather worn Brown Bark Carpet Moth (Horisme intestinata) and only my third record of a Wheat Head Armyworm Moth (Dargida diffusa).
3 moths of 3 species and an aquatic insectThe number of moths remains low with just 3 moths 3 species last night and no new species for the year. However, it did include another Gallium Sphinx Moth (Hyles gallii). I started backyard mothing towards the end of 2007 and after looking through my database I find it interesting that I hadn’t seen a Gallium Sphinx until the 11th June 2012. Since the initial sighting I’ve recorded Gallium Sphinx on another 5 occasions. I’m wondering if they are becoming more common as the trees and plants of the area I live in mature. I guess this is just one of many possible explanations. Either way they are a welcome addition to my backyard. Not much else to report, although I did photograph an interesting aquatic insect today which I believe is a Kayak pond skater (Limnoporus dissortis). The water has enough surface tension to support them (their legs also repel water) so they skate around on it looking for other bugs to feed on. Quite a bizarre sight… The shadows they were casting on the stream bottom made for a curious image.
No Moths but a few Damselflies and ButterfliesIt was too wet for a light trap last night but I did spend some time in the Weaselhead area of Glenmore reservoir this morning. It’s tricky separating Northern and Boreal Bluets but after close inspection of the cerci on the male I believe it is a Northern Bluet - Enallagma annexum. As I understand it, it’s impossible to tell the females of these two species apart without in inspection of the mesostigmal plates so while I suspect the other damselfly is a female Northern Bluet, I’m just calling it a nobo Bluet. With regards to the Artic butterfly I’m calling it Macoun's Arctic - Oeneis macounii. However, Chryxus Arctic - Oeneis chryxus is quite similar and while I’m leaning towards Macoun's I will seek confirmation.
The moths continue to trickle in…Just 3 moths of 3 species last night which included a new backyard moth for the year, a Purple-lined Sallow (pyrrhia exprimens). I guess the numbers will continue to be low until the weather settles down. I did find a day flying moth at Glenmore reservoir, a Black-banded Orange Moth (Epelis truncataria). The moth was slightly damaged and the rain had just started again but the photograph is good enough for an ID and a new moth for me. I’d like to have another chance to photograph this one.
Focus Stacking and a few mothsThere were 5 moths of 5 species in the light trap this morning. The 2 new moths for the year were, Rosy Dart (Diarsia rosaria) and Alfalfa Looper (Autographa californica). I’ve been playing around with focus stacking for sometime now. This is the process of combining multiple images with different focus points. It’s not always easy as any movement of the moth between shots can effect the results and I’ve only ever attempted it on macro moths using a tripod and camera release. I normally combine just 2 photographs. One focused on the head and one on the legs. It seems to work fairly well and give a depth of field that would otherwise be unobtainable (certainly with my macro lens). There can be some softness on the background around the edges of the moth but the moth itself generally looks ok. Anyway, I went a little further today and the side shot of the Alfalfa Looper below is actually the result of 5 photographs each focused on slightly different parts of the moth. I think it looks ok, although, there was a fair bit of leaf softness around the edges of the moth, some of which I have corrected. It’s unlikely that I’ll use this many images very often but I thought it was an interesting experiment. Incidentally, I use Photoshop CS5 to combine the images. The other photographs are also the result of focus stacking but with just 2 shots each this time.
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