Order Lepidoptera (moths, butterflies and skippers)

see “Collecting and Preserving Butterflies”

246. CLOTHES MOTHS, Tinea pellionella Linnaeus and Tineola bisselliella (Humel). These species avoid light in all stages and are located by examining stored animal product materials such as old clothing, woolen scraps and yarn, furs, feather pillows and piano felts.

247. BAGWORMS, Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis (Haworth) and others. Bags can be removed from host plants. During the winter months, bags contain remains of female moths and eggs produced by them. Bags can be mounted directly on insect pins. During the late spring and summer, bags will contain caterpillars that can be removed, killed in boiling water or preservative fluid (e.g., KAAD) and preserved in alcohol. Males are best reared from bags after caterpillars pupate. They can be killed by freezing of in a jar containing a toxicant (e.g. ethyl acetate) and mounted on an insect pin. Males can also be attracted to ultraviolet light (blacklight) traps.

ANGOUMOIS GRAIN MOTH, Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier).Caterpillars can be collected from grain by hand-picking. They can be killed in boiling water or preservative fluid, e.g., KAAD, and preserved in alcohol. Adults can be reared from larvae or attracted to lights and “black light” (ultraviolet light) traps. The adults may be seen flying about infested grain storage areas. There are also sex attractant (pheromone) baited traps commercially available for this insect. They can be killed by freezing or in a jar containing a toxicant, e.g., ethyl acetate, and mounted on insect pins.

248-250. TOMATO PINWORM, Keiferia lycopersicella (Walsingham). Caterpillars can be picked from infested plants. They can be stored in a preservative fluid (e.g., KAAD) or boiled and then stored in alcohol. Adults can be reared from larvae or pupae, collected in pheromone traps or black light traps. They can be killed by freezing, heating or toxicant (i.e., ethyl acetate), and mounted on insect pins by gluing them into paper points using white glue.

251, 252. SQUASH VINE BORER, Melittia curcurbitae (Say).Adults may sit on the leaves of squash early in the morning where they can be collected using a net. Commercially available sex-attractants are available for baiting various traps to collect adult males. Larvae can be dissected from infested vines. Pupae form in earthen cells in the soil which may be found when the garden is tilled.

PEACHTREE BORER, Synanthedon exitiosa (Say). Larvae can be extracted from infested tree trunks using a pocket knife or other suitable tool, killed in a preservative fluid (e.g. KAAD) or boiled, and stored in alcohol. Adult males can be trapped using commercially available sex attractants and adult females can be reared or collected with a net, killed (using heat, freezing or killing agent such as ethyl acetate, etc.) and mounted on insect pins.

CODLING MOTH, Cydia pomonella (Linnaeus). See Oriental fruit moth.

ORIENTAL FRUIT MOTH, Grapholita molesta (Busck). Adult male moths can be collected using commercially available pheromone traps. Caterpillars can be collected from infested twigs and fruit.

HICKORY SHUCKWORM, Cydia caryana (Fitch). Caterpillars can be dissected from infested shucks and be killed in boiling water or a preservative fluid (e.g. KAAD) before begin stored in alcohol. Adults can be reared from infested pecans collected from trees in late summer and early fall. They are also attracted to “black light” (ultraviolet light) traps. Adults can be glued to cardboard points mounted on insect pins.

254, 255. NANTUCKET PINE TIP MOTH, Rhyacionia frustrana (Comstock). Adults are most easily obtained by rearing them from pupae collected in infested pine tips. They can also be trapped using commercially available pheromone (sex attractant) traps and in blacklight traps. Dead adult moths can be spread on minutin pins or glued onto a on a card point affixed to an insect pin. Larvae and pupae, dissected from infested tips, can be killed in a preservative fluid (e.g., KAAD) or boiled in water and stored in alcohol.

256. PUSS CATERPILLAR, Megalopyge opercularis (J. E. Smith). Caterpillars (larvae) should be handled carefully!!. They can be collected from host plants and preserved by boiling them or killing them in a preservative fluid (e.g., KAAD) and then stored in alcohol. Larvae can be reared to adult moths or moths can be collected using black light traps in areas where host plants are plentiful. Moths can be killed and mounted on insect pins.

PECAN NUT CASEBEARER, Acrobasis nuxvorella Neunzig. Adult stages can be reared from pupae collected by wrapping cloth or corrugated cardboard around branches to attract caterpillars seeking a site to pupate. They can also be collected in “black light” (ultraviolet light) traps or in commercially-available sex attractant (pheromone) traps. Adults moths can be killed and mounted on insect pins. First generation eggs and larvae can be collected by closely examining nutlets after pollination in the spring. Caterpillar stages should be killed in a preservative fluid (e.g., KAAD) and preserved in alcohol.

257. SUGARCANE BORER, Diatraea sacchari (Zehntner). Caterpillars are best dissected from the stalks of infested host plants, killed in boiling water or a preservative fluid (e.g., KAAD) and stored in alcohol. Adults can be reared from immature stages in infested stalks. Sex attractants (pheromones) are available to attract the males of several stalk boring pyralid moth species or they can be attracted to black light traps. They can be killed by freezing or in a jar containing a toxicant (e.g., ethyl acetate) and mounted on insect pins.

258. GREATER WAX MOTH, Galleria mellonella (Linnaeus). Caterpillars can be dissected from infested bee hives and killed in boiling water or in a preservative fluid (e.g., KAAD) before being stored in alcohol. Adults are best reared from pupae, killed by freezing or in a jar containing toxic fumes (e.g., ethyl acetate) before being mounted on insect pins.

259-262. TROPICAL SOD WEBWORM, Herpetogramma phaeopteralis Guenee. Caterpillars can be forced up out of infested turfgrass by sprinkling a 2 by 2 ft. area with an irritating liquid solution of 1 ounce liquid dishwashing soap in a gallon of water. Caterpillar will climb up on grass blades and can be picked off with tweezers, killed in a preservative fluid or by boiling, and then preserved in alcohol. Moths can be collected with a net, killed and mounted on insect pins.

263. INDIAN MEAL MOTH, Plodia interpunctata Hübner. Caterpillars can be dissected from infested food and killed in boiling water or in a preservative fluid (e.g., KAAD) before being stored in alcohol. Adults can be collected in a jar or best reared from pupae, killed by freezing or in a jar containing toxic fumes (e.g., ethyl acetate) before being mounted on insect pins.

THE WATERLILY LEAFCUTTER, Synclita obliteralis (Walker). Larvae are easy to collect from damaged, infested lily pad leaves. They can be killed in a preservative fluid (e.g., KAAD) or boiled and stored in alcohol. Adults can be obtained by collecting pupae and allowing them to emerge. They can be killed by freezing and then mounted on insect pins.

264. CANNA LEAFROLLER, Calpodes ethius (Stoll). Adults can be collected from flowers using an aerial net. They can also be reared. They can be killed by pinching the thoracic segments to stun them and placed in a envelope for storage or mounted on an insect pin. Larvae can be collected from host plants and killed in boiling water or preservative fluid (e.g., KAAD) before being stored in alcohol.

265. FIELD SKIPPER, Atalopedes campestris (Boisduval).Caterpillars can be collected from infested plants using a sweep net. They can be killing in boiling water of in a preservative fluid (e.g., KAAD) and preserved in alcohol. Adults can be collected from wildflowers using an aerial net. They can be killed by pinching the thorax before placing them in a grassine envelope. They can then be pinned and mounted either immediately or after the specimen has been “relaxed” in a high humidity chamber containing a fungicidal agent.

266-269. BLACK SWALLOWTAIL AND PARSLEYWORM, Papilio polyxenes asterius Stoll. This butterfly is easy to attract and raise by planting dill or fennel in your vegetable garden. Caterpillars and pupae can be killed in a preservative fluid (e.g., KAAD) or boiled, and stored in 70% alcohol. Adults can be reared or collected with a butterfly net, stunned and killed by gently pinching the sides of the thorax. Specimens can then be mounted on insect pins.

286-288. GULF FRITILLARY, Agraulis vanillae incarnata (Riley). Caterpillars feed on leaves of passion flower, Passiflora spp. Adults visit numerous flowers.

290-292. MONARCH BUTTERFLY, Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus). Caterpillars feed exclusively on milkweed. Adults feed on nectar from numerous wild flowers. Adult butterflies can be collected with a butterfly net, killed by pinching the thorax and pinning and mounting the specimen in the desired position.

293. SPRING AND FALL CANKERWORMS, Paleacrata vernata (Peck) and Alsophila pometaria (Harris). Adult males may be seen at blacklights. Adult females may be collected on tree trunks as they walk up the tree. Bands of sticky material or a mechanical barrier can be placed on the trunk of trees to intercept females as they climb. Adults can be killed by freezing or in a jar containing a toxicant, e.g., ethyl acetate, and mounted on insect pins. Caterpillars can be collected from host plants by hand-picking. They can be killed in boiling water or preservative fluid, e.g., KAAD, and preserved in alcohol.

294. EASTERN TENT CATERPILLAR, Malacosoma americanum (Fabricius). Caterpillars can be collected from host plants by hand-picking. They can be killed in boiling water or preservative fluid, e.g., KAAD, and preserved in alcohol. Adults can be reared from larvae or attracted to lights and “black light” (ultraviolet light) traps. They can be killed by freezing or in a jar containing a toxicant, e.g., ethyl acetate, and mounted on insect pins.

295. FOREST TENT CATERPILLAR, Malacosoma disstria Hübner. Caterpillars can be collected from host plants by hand-picking. They can be killed in boiling water or preservative fluid, e.g., KAAD, and preserved in alcohol. Adults can be reared from larvae or attracted to lights and “black light” (ultraviolet light) traps. They can be killed by freezing or in a jar containing a toxicant, e.g., ethyl acetate, and mounted on insect pins.

296-304. LUNA MOTH, Actias luna (Linnaeus). Adults can be attracted to black lights, or males can be attracted to an imprisoned female. They can be killed with an appropriate agent (e.g., heat, cold, ethyl acetate, potassium cyanide) and mounted on an insect pin for display. All colors will fade when exposed to light. Caterpillars can be killed in boiling water or preservative fluid (e.g. KAAD) and stored in alcohol. Mated female luna moths can be caged over a food plant on which she will deposit eggs. Caterpillars hatching from eggs can be reared to adults by feeding them clean host plant leaves daily. In east Texas, luna moths appear to be increasingly rare.

BUCK MOTH, Hemileuca maia (Drury). Buck moths fly during the daytime and are best collected using an aerial net in the fall of the year.

305-307. CATALPA SPHINX, Ceratomia catalpae (Boisduval). Caterpillars can be collected from host plants by hand-picking. They can be used live or frozen as fish bait or killed in boiling water or preservative fluid (e.g., KAAD) and preserved in alcohol. Adults can be reared from larvae or attracted to lights and “black light” (ultraviolet light) traps. They can be killed by freezing or in a jar containing a toxicant (e.g., ethyl acetate) and mounted on insect pins.

308, 309. TOMATO HORNWORM, Manduca quinquemaculata (Haworth). Caterpillars can be collected from the foliage of infested host plants. They can be killed in preservative fluid (e.g., KAAD) or boiled and preserved in alcohol. Adults can be collected using light traps, killed using toxicant (e.g., ethyl acetate) or by freezing and mounted on an insect pin.

310-312. WALNUT CATERPILLAR, Datana integerrima Grote & Robinson. See Tent Caterpillars.

313. WHITEMARKED TUSSOCK MOTH, Orgyia (=Hemerocampa) leucostigma (J. E. Smith).See Fall Webworm.

314, 315. FALL WEBWORM, Hyphantria cunea (Drury). Caterpillars can be easily collected by cutting webs from trees. They should be killed in preservative fluid (e.g., KAAD) or boiled and stored in alcohol. Adults can be reared or collected using black light traps. They should be mounted on insect pins.

318. GRANULATE CUTWORM, Feltia subterranea (Fabricius). Caterpillars can be collected by raking soil around damaged plants or turning over debris on the ground under which caterpillars hide during the day. Caterpillars can be killed and preserved in a preservative fluid (e.g., KAAD) or boiled and then stored in alcohol. Adult moths can be collected in a black light trap, killed and mounted on an insect pin.

319. CORN EARWORM, BOLLWORM, TOMATO FRUITWORM, (SORGHUM) HEADWORM, (SOYBEAN) PODWORM, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie). Caterpillars can be picked from plants or collected using a sweep net or drop cloth. They can be stored in a preservative fluid (e.g., KAAD) or boiled and then stored in alcohol. Adults can be collected in pheromone traps or black light traps, killed, and mounted on insect pins.

320. BEET ARMYWORM, Spodoptera exigua (Hübner). See Fall Armyworm.

321, 322. FALL ARMYWORM, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith). Caterpillars can be collected from infested field crops by using a sweep net, by beating them off the host plant onto a drop cloth or by hand picking. In turfgrass, caterpillars may be driven to the surface by sprinkling soapy water onto infested areas. They should be killed in a preservative fluid (e.g., KAAD) or boiled before preseving them in alcohol. Adult moths can be reared from mature larvae or pupae, collected in a blacklight or pheromone trap or using a net. They may be killed in a jar containing ethyl acetate (or other toxicant) or by freezing them, before being pinned and mounted on insect pins.

323. YELLOWSTRIPED ARMYWORM, Spodoptera ornithogalli (Guenée). Collecting and preserving is similar to that used for cutworms.

324. CABBAGE LOOPER, Trichoplusia ni (Hubner). Caterpillars can be collected from host plants by shaking infested plants onto a cloth, by using a sweep net or be hand picking. Caterpillars can be killed by boiling or using a preservative fluid (e.g., KAAD) and then stored in alcohol. Adults can be reared or collected in a black light trap or at lights at night, killed by freezing, heat or killing agent (e.g., ethyl acetate), and then mounted on an insect pin. Eggs can be obtained by bagging adult females on host plants.