Diario de k8thegr8

Last year's experiment of keeping up with trending caterpillars was a bit of a fail. It was quite a year!
I'm sorry for my extended absence, but hopefully I can be available more often. Moving is a pain!
Let's see those caterpillar finds!

K8 =)

The Southern states are getting lots of activity these days. There are starting to be reports of dagger moths (Acronicta sp.). The Erebinae family is going strong, along with the usual tiger and tussock moths. Charadra species are starting to be reported, as well as prominent moths.
The East coast is starting to get tent caterpillars (Lasiocampinae).
The Southwest and East/Central Texas are showing lots of reports of the Sonoran tent caterpillar (Malacosoma tigris), which I don't remember from last year.
The West coast is still reporting lots of tiger moth activity, and are now seeing some Vanessa species of lady butterflies.
It's starting to be a busy spring!

We're really getting spring started now! Still seeing tons of tent caterpillars (genus Malacosoma) being reported all over the US.

The very southern US is starting to report all kinds of underwing caterpillars (genus Catocala), especially in Texas, as well as some other Erebinae.
The Gulf coast region is still reporting tons of fir tussock caterpillars (Orgyia detrita), but I think the first white marked tussock (Orgyia leucostigma) has been reported in Texas today.
The checkerspots (Melitaeini) and three Orgyia tussock species are going strong on the West Coast.
The tiger moth caterpillars are still going strong on the East Coast and the Great Lakes areas, especially the Virginian ctenucha (Ctenucha virginica) caterpillar.

The most exciting news for this week is the first report of fall webworms (Hyphantria cunea) in Texas. I'm sure everyone is excited for those!

Tent caterpillars! Genus Malacosoma are being reported on the east, west and Gulf coasts, along with Genista broom moth caterpillars (Uresiphita reversalis).
The Eastern half of the country is still reporting lots of Haploa genus tiger moths.

The West Coast is still reporting lots of checkerspot butterfly larvae, and a few buckmoth (Hemileuca sp) caterpillars have been spotted as well.

A few underwing moth (Catocala sp) larvae have been reported in the last week in various locations.

I can't wait to start finding caterpillars again!

Spring is starting, and I'm going to try out an idea that I've had for a while. In trying to identify various caterpillars from around North America, I get to see what species are booming at certain times of year. I'll be trying to keep a record of those events in journal form. Nothing fancy, but it might be interesting for comparisons from year to year.

3-4-2020
The winter we had in the Texas was very mild this year so I'm starting to see some early dart and cutworm moth larvae reports.

Florida seems to be reporting quite a few Isabella Tiger moth (Pyrrharctia isabella) larvae already, along with some Erinnyis sphinx caterpillars.
Lots of tiger moths are being reported in California, Silver-Spotted Tiger moths (Lophocampa argentata) and what might be Apantesis ursina down the coast. There are also lots of Checkerspots being found in California. There have also been a couple of reports of the Pacific Green Sphinx (Proserpinus lucidus) larvae there.
The Northeastern and Great Lakes area have submitted some observation of tiger moth larva in the last few days, some of which are Isabella tigers.