BLOG 12: The Earth Measurer

I’m currently reading a really interesting book called “Wildlife of Orchard and Field” by Ernest Ingersoll published in March of 1902. 

The natural history books back then were so different from today.  The accounts of flora and fauna are treated so poetically and with such a personal touch.  In our era of immediate communication and hyper connectivity with our text messaging and Twittering and reality TV are there people out there who can still write like this? Is there even a demand for it? Just read this small excerpt where Ingersoll describes, on page 84, the terrain after a sudden, late-spring snowstorm,

“ Beyond a wide swale, that yesterday was gold and green but now is glistening wintry white, rises a small eminence where a dissolved view of trees and buildings is momently formed, then hidden, then brought out again, mirage-like, in the most curious and dreamlike unreality, yet always with singular beauty. Gray is the only color—a soft, purplish, silvery gray—and the silhouette the only style of drawing. By their outlines I guess that the wavering, slender spike amid the glistening haze is the church steeple—that squarish blur the belfry of the courthouse—the next irregular smudge a certain collection of house-roofs; but all seems as foreign and unsubstantial as shadows, so quaintly are they now clouded, now lightly revealed, by the swirling, satiny snow-flakes that fill the air with particles luminous in themselves yet obscuring the landscape.”

I mean, forgetting for the moment that he used the word “glistening” two times in only three sentences isn’t that just delicious writing? Someone today would simply type, “It snowed like hell” or “Outside was a blizzard as thick as pea soup” or something like that. Our language is devolving!

But who cares about any of that, right?  Hey, one thing that Ingersoll didn’t cover in his 347 page masterwork was moths! And that’s exactly what we’re going to discuss here on this brief installment of Kieran’s Critters!

While lizard hunting the other day in New Jersey I saw something odd along a rock wall.  My friend Kerry thought it was a speck of yellow paint and to me it looked like a potato chip! And that reminds me of a Peanuts comic I read years ago:

Do you have any idea how long it took me to actually dig up a copy of that strip? Anyway, moving right along . . .

Because of that comic you probably think I'm talking about a butterfly, right? Well I'm not but it might as well be! This is the gorgeous False Crocus Geometer (Xanthotype urticaria) and to be honest I'd like it just for the name alone!

When we moved in to inspect this “potato chip” and saw that it was actually a moth we were only able to snap a picture or two before it fluttered off! I imagine these are pretty common in New Jersey but we’ve never seen one before so we were pretty excited about our discovery!

Now, this obviously isn’t the most popular moth in the world because I was barely able to uncover any information about them but I did discover that they are fairly numerous throughout the summer months and active by both day and night. The literature even points out that they are often spotted on the walls of buildings in the exact same manner we encountered ours. They are a vivid yellow with brown speckles and blotches, as you see in the above photograph. The males have more of these spots than females. Their wingspan measures 3–4 cm the females being larger than the males. In the Northeast they are active from April to November. I don’t know if that means socially active or politically active or both! I mean a moth would have to be involved with the right and the left wing wouldn't it? 

Alrighty, let's just flit along...

Area where we found the moth

This moth is not to be confused with the Crocus Geometer which is larger, pale yellow, and has little or no brown spotting.

Shouldn't that be the “True” Crocus Geometer or even the “Honest” Geometer if the one we’re discussing here is the “False” Geometer?  Personally I’d prefer “Phony" Geometer.

But enough of my taxonomical tomfoolery!

So to get a little technical for a minute (for real) this moth’s binomial name, as mentioned before, is Xanthotype urticaria, “Xanthotype” being the genus and “urticaria” being the species. Its family is Geometridae! Confused yet? (well I sure am) The only reason I’m bringing up all this entomological gobbledygook is because how this insect got its name is sort of interesting.

The juvenile form of this moth is our familiar "inchworm" from where it derives its name. The Greek root word“geometer” means “earth-measurer.” Inchworms having appendages at both ends of their body but none in between clasp onto surfaces with their front legs and then draw up their back endsforming a loop as they move ahead giving the impression that they are measuring as they go. Hey, for all we know they are making some sort of calculations. I have asked in the past but have never had one actually stop and give me an answer so it’s anyone’s guess!

The False Crocus Geometer typically inhabits weedy fields and open forests especially near the plants it feeds on during its larval stage like, Dog Wood, Ground-ivy, Rhododendrons, Goldenrods and Catnip--CATNIP!? I thought that was just some type of kitty marihuana developed by the pet industry! But apparently it grows wild! Who'da thunk it?

Well, it wasn’t the best blog in the world but what is!? I wish I could tell you some more about this critter but that’s all I know, was able to find or thought was interesting enough to pass along! 

As always, thank you very much for your continued interest and support. And make no mistake about it; people are visiting this blog! I get far more readers than I do commenters. It would be nice if that changed, I enjoy a healthy exchange of ideas and opinions but it’s A-OK if folks prefer to remain secretive! Of course, all questions or comments are welcome and any complaints should be addressed to the moth! That’s right, if you don’t like something it’s the bug's fault!

 Merry meet, merry part and merry meet again!