biscuit

I spotted this moth on the bathroom wall (outside) well out of reach, last time we were at Pine Haven. We then fetched the butterfly net from the car and Monty helped me capture it, to have its photo taken in the morning. It's a Red-fringed Emerald (Nemoria bistriaria). Wentworth NH, 08/07/2015.

Monty, George and I are at Pine Haven for a slightly longer weekend than our usual, while we visit Denton at camp tonight and over the weekend. We got in fairly late last night, and ran the moth light, though with a somewhat late start to the light, plus not getting up very early, we didn't have a huge bonanza. We did investigate around the bathrooms, and found a few good ones, including this Virgin Tiger Moth (Grammia virgo).

We actually found two specimens, both on the foundation (below the siding); neither seemed very lively - one fluttered helplessly without taking off, when we picked it up. That did allow us to get a good look at its bright hindwings, however. Virgin Tiger Moth (Grammia virgo), Wentworth NH, 8/6/2015.

Here's a moth from the Pine Haven bathrooms last week: Single-dotted Wave (Idaea dimidiata) which is apparently a European native. Wentworth, NH, 7/25/2015.

I dropped Denton off at camp for three weeks, yesterday. We went up to NH on Saturday, stopped to go blueberry picking, then camped at Pine Haven Saturday night, before dropping off Denton on Sunday afternoon. I had been intending to moth hunt with the light, but had left a crucial part behind, which was disappointing (I have some moths, but not a huge quantity). On the other hand, it rained, so I'm not sure I really wanted to deal with the soggy white sheet, etc.

I spotted this beetle high on the exterior bathroom wall, walking around, and coaxed it onto the top of a stick to get it down, where it seemed comfortable and friendly on my fingers. As I was doing so, another camper walked by, informed me that it's a "stink bug" and upon return from her trip to the restroom explained that they smell bad when you squish them. I said "mm-hmm" and then told her I had no intention of squishing it, and she seemed rather dissatisfied with the encounter. (It's not what I think of as a stink bug, and I have no evidence that it has defensive musk or anything else going on.)

I think it must be Parelaphidion aspersum, though it doesn't seem quite right (I make it at least 25mm, which is bigger than the size given for either species). I see no actual spines to make it Elaphidion mucronatum. Wentworth, NH, 7/26/2015.