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By Pam Owen
Special to the Rappahannock News
Although I don’t miss the droning of mosquitoes or the constant checking for ticks as the first frosts of fall come and the insects start disappearing, I do miss the insect chorus that for me is a lullaby, letting me know that all is well at night, from spring until fall. The sounds at night are soothing, and the sight of butterflies and moths that grace our fields with their ethereal beauty, dwindle as the first frosts take hold.
Last year at this time, after Rappahannock County had already had its first real frost, we were treated to the old Virginia tradition of Indian summer. Taking advantage of this balmy weather, I started cleaning up the dead blooms around the garden. I noticed only one plant was still flowering — a chrysanthemum. This was well into the second week in November, and this mum was just coming into full bloom.
Looking closer at the flowers, I noticed they were alive with insect activity. Several flies and bees were cruising the blossoms, but what really caught my attention was a small tiger-striped moth, about a half inch long. It’s beautiful orange, white, and black hues made it seem as if it was color coordinated to match the last of the fall colors in the trees.
Having not seen this moth before, I ran inside to my Peterson’s Field Guide to Insects, hoping but not expecting to find this species in the slim section on moths. While I often have to go to my thick, detailed guides devoted exclusively to moths, this time Peterson’s scored. It identified the little guys as Ailanthus Webworm Moths (Atteva punctella).
Ailanthus! Could it be that this
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