Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Andrew Warren

@andybugguy.bsky.social

Oh to be a moth that cannot fly...

Meet the newly described genus/species Coloradactria frigida, a moth with females that don't fly- they scurry around on the ground like a spider or silverfish...

lepscience.com/wp-content/u...

@inaturalist.bsky.social observations helped us locate populations!

This female moth cannot fly. She has wings, but they are not fully developed (called brachypterous). Females of this species require warm bare ground and stubby grass to be active during their late October-late November adult emergence. Currently known habitats are regularly mowed. Before the evolution of lawn mowers, we speculate that their specialized habitat was maintained by grazing and movements of large mammals such as bison, pronghorn, elk, deer, and prairie dogs. Females lay 250-400 eggs near the bases of highly disturbed Sand Dropseed grass. When larvae eclose in the spring, they immediately burrow down into bases of the grass clumps, and they apparently develop underground feeding on the roots of Sand Dropseed. While described from and currently only known from Colorado, we suspect this species will be found to occur elsewhere once targeted searches are conducted. Perhaps additional species in this genus will be found? Unidentified observations at iNaturalist helped us find additional populations once we knew what to look for. Several males and one female were found there, as cited in the paper linked in this post. They are now identified at iNaturalist as Coloradactria frigida.

This male moth spends all of this time looking for females in highly disturbed (= mowed, trampled) patches of Sand Dropseed grass. The late October to late November flight time of this moth is unusually late for its known habitats in Colorado. The other moth that is common during this period is the geometrid Alsophila pometaria, which also has flightless females. Why do late-season moths evolve flightless females? We talk about this near the end of our paper linked in this post.

June 16, 2025 at 6:49 PM

Andrew Warren

@andybugguy.bsky.social

The photo of the Mountain Ball Cactus I originally posted was in full sun. I took this photo of the same cactus once it had clouded over- interesting how different the colors are...

Mountain Ball Cactus, Pediocactus simpsonii, in dappled light from full cloud cover. Pink and Yellow flowers appear in a different hue than in full sun, as was the original photo. E of Castle Rock, Douglas County, Colorado, 28 March 2025.

April 1, 2025 at 10:44 PM

Andrew Warren

@andybugguy.bsky.social

I stumbled upon this most extremely perfect Mountain Ball Cactus last week, and realized it would be rude not to share this incredible beauty with you!

Pediocactus simpsonii
Douglas County, Colorado, USA

The Mountain Ball Cactus is widespread in Colorado at elevations above 6000'. They bloom very early in the spring. This one, with bright pink and yellow flowers, was found on March 28, 2025, east of Castle Rock, Douglas County, Colorado. These cactus don't usually bloom quite this early in the season, but we had very warm weather in late March. Spring is here!

April 1, 2025 at 9:56 PM

Andrew Warren

@andybugguy.bsky.social

From north Africa and Europe to Siberia and North America, The Swallowtail thrills and inspires everyone who is lucky enough to see it!

Papilio machaon aliaska
Brooks Range, North Slope, Alaska, USA

Yellow and black butterfly with blue and red spots on the hindwing, basking on the arctic tundra of Alaska's North Slope. Papilio machaon is called "The Swallowtail" in Britain, where it is the only resident swallowtail species. In North America, it is usually called the Old World Swallowtail.

January 31, 2025 at 4:04 PM

Andrew Warren

@andybugguy.bsky.social

This is one sneaky little moth! The caterpillars live in a Polistes wasp nest, creeping around at night eating the wasp larvae and pupae while the parents are asleep! 😱

Chalcoela iphitalis
Douglas County, Colorado, USA

Small brown moth with irregular grayish and white markings, at rest on a wall near a Polistes wasp nest. The carnivorous caterpillars can completely decimate a wasp nest over the course of the summer.

January 25, 2025 at 5:54 PM

Andrew Warren

@andybugguy.bsky.social

Despite sporting some pretty loud warning coloration, the Red Peacock is not known to be toxic.

Anartia amathea
Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil

Brown butterfly with white spots and irregularly-shaped red patches near the center of the wings. This butterfly is thought to be a Batesian mimic of toxic butterflies such as Heliconius.

January 23, 2025 at 4:17 PM

Andrew Warren

@andybugguy.bsky.social

This female Zebra Swallowtail spent 10 minutes searching for the perfect place to deposit an egg on this young Pawpaw. She ended up flying away without ovipositing- something about this plant was just not quite right...

Eurytides marcellus
Levy County, Florida, USA

January 18, 2025 at 3:46 PM

Andrew Warren

@andybugguy.bsky.social

If I told you this is a caterpillar, would you believe me?

Spun Glass Slug Moth (Isochaetes beutenmulleri)
Gainesville, Florida, USA

This slug-like caterpillar is covered in irregular tubercles and protuberances covered with venomous hairs and spines that can deliver a painful sting.

January 17, 2025 at 8:32 PM

Andrew Warren

@andybugguy.bsky.social

To avoid males as much as possible, female Rocky Mountain Parnassians don’t fly much. Instead, they spend most of their time running around on the ground!

Douglas County, Colorado, USA

January 10, 2025 at 6:53 PM

Andrew Warren

@andybugguy.bsky.social

Just in time: 4 insects from 4 orders (in only 2 photos) for #Hexapodecember

Coleoptera: Mycotrupes gaigei (Florida endemic dung beetle)
Diptera: Ceroptera longicauda (phoretic kleptoparasite)
Lepidoptera: Euphyes pilatka (barely escaped alive)
Hemiptera: Ambush bug (Phymatinae).

This shiny black beetle, Mycotrupes gaigei, is endemic to north Florida sandhill habitats, where they make burrows up to 6 feet deep. The tiny flies, Ceroptera longicauda (Sphaeroceridae) are phoretic on the beetles and kleptoparasitize its dung caches. Levy County, Florida, USA

Brown orange and black skipper butterfly, Euphyes pilatka, next to a whitish ambush bug on a yellow flower that was hoping to eat the skipper. The skipper escaped alive...

December 31, 2024 at 5:01 PM

Andrew Warren

@andybugguy.bsky.social

Spent the afternoon picking up trash in the neighborhood and on my adjacent routes. So much trash! I just hope it will help the wildlife, including the greenies that are barely holding on here...

December 27, 2024 at 1:11 AM

Andrew Warren

@andybugguy.bsky.social

Happy Holidays everyone!

Here are some seasonally appropriate Parides swallowtail butterflies from the New World Tropics!

December 25, 2024 at 9:54 PM

Andrew Warren

@andybugguy.bsky.social

Astonished to have found TWO species of butterflies today!

A lovely winter-form Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole- in pic), with its vivid greenish underside, and an Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme- no pic).

It's the latest in the year that either species has been found in Colorado!

Small greenish butterfly with orange, yellow and white markings. Most of the year the Dainty Sulphur is mainly yellow on the underside, but extreme late-season individuals like this one are mostly greenish instead. This pic is from the same place as today's butterfly but from Dec. 18, 2013; all I got of today's butterfly was a crummy cell phone pic...

December 21, 2024 at 10:36 PM

Andrew Warren

@andybugguy.bsky.social

Please enjoy this 'Solstice Swallowtail', likely flying now in S Florida...

Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus), Alachua County, Florida, USA

Black and white striped butterfly with long tails on the hindwings, ornamented with red and blue spots, and a red stripe near the middle of the hindwing.

December 21, 2024 at 6:07 PM

Andrew Warren

@andybugguy.bsky.social

Check out those spiracles and tracheae!

Brazilian Skipper caterpillar here to show us how insects breathe...

Alachua County, Florida, USA

Greenish caterpillar with an orange head and transparent skin, showing the fine details of the spiracles and tracheae which serve as its respiratory system.

December 20, 2024 at 5:09 PM

Andrew Warren

@andybugguy.bsky.social

Move along now... There's nothing to see here... Just a couple of jumping spiders... nothing special...

(Mating pair of Gemmed Satyrs, Cyllopsis gemma)

Levy County, Florida, USA

Two brown butterflies with red and silver markings on the ventral hindwings that resemble jumping spiders.

December 17, 2024 at 5:26 PM

Andrew Warren

@andybugguy.bsky.social

This is the unique form of the Anicia Checkerspot in Colorado's Front Range- subspecies capella- and they are absolute stunners with their mainly orange-red upperside coloration!

This one is feasting on the nectar of Spearleaf Stonecrop (Sedum lanceolatum).

Douglas County, Colorado, USA

Orange-red butterfly with black and pale markings, perched on and feeding on the nectar of the bright yellow flowers of Sedum lanceolatum.

December 17, 2024 at 1:03 AM

Andrew Warren

@andybugguy.bsky.social

Be careful! If you stare at this Ruddy Copper for too long, it could damage your retina... 😂

Vail Mountain, Eagle County, Colorado, USA

Bright orange butterfly perched on white and yellow flowers.

December 15, 2024 at 11:04 PM

Andrew Warren

@andybugguy.bsky.social

The African Map Butterfly is very unique, being the only member of its subfamily in Africa. It is also super cool and breathtakingly beautiful!

Cyrestis camillus camillus, Kakamega Forest, Kenya.

White butterfly with orange and black stripes and short tails on the hindwings.

December 15, 2024 at 5:26 PM

Andrew Warren

@andybugguy.bsky.social

This perfect little gem is North America's tiniest skipper!

It takes some effort to see them, and a lot of patience to sneak up on them, but it is well worth it!

Southern Skipperling (Copaeodes minima), Marion County, Florida, USA

Tiny orange skipper butterfly with vague white streaks on the hindwing and a whitish belly.

December 14, 2024 at 4:38 PM

Andrew Warren

@andybugguy.bsky.social

Here's an exotic Metalmark to help get you though the week...

Anteros formosus, Parque Estadual do Guartelá, SW of Tibagi, Paraná, Brazil

Yellow butterfly with metallic patches of scales surrounded by dark red blotches. Greenish eyes...

December 12, 2024 at 5:54 PM

Andrew Warren

@andybugguy.bsky.social

So...., you think you're tough?

I bet you don't eat wasps for breakfast! 😉

Chonky robber fly snacking on a yellowjacket wasp (Vespula sp.), Douglas County, Colorado, USA