Hemileuca maia – Barrens Buck Moth – October 2

male Hemileuca maia found by Shelley 

I haven't used this blog in quite a while but thought I'd see if anyone still was following. Well September 29 began our week for Buck Moths - Hemileuca species. We saw our first on Sunday as we were part of an Athol Bird and Nature Club Trip to Middleboro. A Buck moth buzzed past us, and by habitat it seemed possible to be H. lucina but not being able to get a good look we will just have to call it  Hemileuca species...

Well that got our juices flowing and the warm temperatures of Wednesday October 2nd had Lula Field, Shelley and I out in good barrens habitat in hopes of finding Hemileuca maia – Barrens Buck Moth.

We weren't disappointed as driving in the gravel entrance road we soon encountered several individual Buck Moths patrolling the road. Most likely these were males seeking females to mate with. Careful searching  and observing Lula came upon a female ovipositing on a small Scrub Oak (Quercus) at the edge of a cart road. This very accommodating female continued to lay her eggs as we watched and snapped photos.

 Hemileuca maia female laying eggs on Scrub Oak

We continued to move around the sand plains observing literally a hundred or more of these state listed moth in the silk moth family. A species fact sheet is posted on the Mass Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program web site: .Barrens Buck Moth Species page

I know I'll be back next year to watch the flight of the Buck moths and will seek out the New England Buck Moth which generally flies a couple weeks earlier...  Thanks to my wife Shelley and Lula Field who actually found the sitting moths... A great team effort :-)