Upcoming moth nights - and an irruption of Pyraustas?
I wanted to make sure everyone is aware of these upcoming public moth nights around the state:
Saturday, June 15 - Ruby Grant Park in Norman
Saturday, June 22 - Oxley Nature Center in Tulsa
Saturday, July 27 - Lake Wister State Park in southeast Oklahoma
Each moth night will begin around 9 pm.
If you have any questions about details of locations, please reach out to me.
2024 Irruption?
Most people know the word "irruption" (or more often "eruption") in reference to volcanos. In ecology the word "irruption" means a sudden increase in an animal population. I first learned this word in the birding world when one year we would have a high number of an otherwise uncommon bird in our area. For instance, one winter we were seeing a bunch of Mountain Bluebirds in central Oklahoma. Prior to that year, Mountain Bluebirds were pretty much unheard of in central Oklahoma, and a rarity in western Oklahoma.
This year I have noticed a few different moth species in higher than usual numbers, so I thought I would mention this for historical reference, if nothing else. This year we have seen a lot of Forage Loopers, but that is already a pretty common moth in Oklahoma, so I wouldn't classify this as an irruption. The species that has really stood out for me is the Yellow-banded Pyrausta (Pyrausta pseuderosnealis). As of June 14, there have been 43 observations of this species in the state. Last year there were only 5 for the whole year!
As for why this is occurring, it's hard to say. My guess would be that the host plant for this species had a very good year last year, resulting in more caterpillars making it to maturity, resulting in more adults this year. But there's a whole host of questions that opens up.
