THE BLACK WITCH – A RARE PRAIRIE VISITOR Cedric Gillott 380 Grasswood Road Grasswood, SK S7T 1A6 [email protected]

In early August 2020, I was asked to confirm the identity of a huge moth photographed on an acreage just south-east of Saskatoon. To my great surprise (and pleasure) the specimen was a black witch moth (BWM) ( (Linnaeus 1758)), marking only the second occasion in over 50 years of living in the province that I had seen one FIGURE 1. The black witch moth photographed on 4 August 2020 south-east of Saskatoon. The specimen, with a wingspan approaching 16 cm, is very likely a female, based on the white ‘necklace’ pattern that runs (Figure 1). across the forewings. The somewhat tattered appearance of the wings is typical, reflecting the battering these The BWM is a member of the receive as they are blown northward. Photo credit: Philip Griebel. family in the superfamily record from Auke Bay, Juneau, the collector of this specimen is (more familiar to us Alaska (58º 23’ N), set in 1957, by a unnamed).8 A 2018 compilation of as the group to which cutworms few kilometres.5 Though a BWM was records by Saskatchewan’s ‘Moth belong) and is endemic to the found in Manitoba as early as 1900, Guru’ (John Kozial) listed only 14 southern United States, Hawaii, the it is Alberta that holds the record for occurrences, including the one Caribbean, and South America as the earliest collection date — May reported by Ron Hooper in Blue far south as central Argentina.1,2 1897 in Calgary.6,7 This is a most Jay.9,10 However, this list has now This dark brown to black moth is the interesting report which, if correct, is been amended to 20, mainly due largest noctuoid in North America, easily the earliest date for the species to the addition of 2019 and 2020 with females having a wingspan in Canada, beating by a good month sightings. Sites where were up to 17 cm (males usually a few other early sightings (e.g., Point observed were Regina (5), Indian centimetres less [Figure 2]), resulting Pelee National Park, Ontario, 15 Head, Hodgeville, White Bear, in their sometimes being mistaken June; Altamont, Manitoba, 28 June; Saskatoon (2), Fort Qu’Appelle, for bats at first glance.1,2 Black Diamond, Alberta, 30 June). Bjorkdale area (2), Porcupine Plain Carried north on strong winds However, there are more reports of (2), St Victor, Assiniboia, Spring (especially those of tropical storms) in the moth in Alberta, compared to Valley, Dirt Hills (near Claybank) mid to late summer, the BWM is an Manitoba, perhaps due to a greater and Prince Albert. The latter record, occasional visitor to Canada, having number of collectors and simply a report and photograph in been recorded from all provinces photographers, both professional the Prince Albert Herald, likely in the except Prince Edward Island and the and amateur, to be found here. 1980s, is the province’s northernmost Territories.3,4 Though most of the Alberta records sighting.9 Most of these BWMs were In the Prairie provinces, reports of are from Calgary and further south, seen in July, with fewer in August the BWM are few and far between. several moths have been taken in and one in September. For Manitoba, I have been unable Edmonton and vicinity, representing What struck me most as I to find many reports of sightings, the northerly extreme for the examined the records for the though the province can claim province. Prairie provinces was the increased the record for the most northerly Saskatchewan records for the number of sightings in recent years sighting: a BWM was collected just BWM now number 20 since the compared to the late 1900s and east of Churchill (58º 46’ N) in 2006, first moth was taken in 1945 early 2000s. For example, in 2020 beating the old North American in Saskatoon (unfortunately, alone, there were two reports from

28 BLUE JAY SUMMER 2021 VOLUME 79.2 FIGURE 2. A male black witch moth resting on a tree trunk, photographed on 3 July 2020 at Dirt Hills near Claybank. Its wingspan was about 13 cm, and its wings show no sign of the ‘necklace’ seen in females. Photo credit: Richard Geber.

Manitoba (Winnipeg and Riding and Richard Geber allowed me the Macrolepidoptera of Alberta, N.W.T. The Mountain National Park), four from to use their photographs. Greg Canadian Entomologist 38:45-54. Saskatchewan (Saskatoon, Regina, Pohl (Alberta) and Terry Galloway 8. Specimen in the Canadian National Spring Valley and Dirt Hills), and (Manitoba) also provided valuable Collection of Insects, Arachnids and six from Alberta (Calgary [two], information on sightings. Nematodes. Correspondence between Don Lacombe, Taber, Stafford Park Lafontaine and John Kozial. and Fort MacLeod).11-15 Some of References 9. E-mail correspondence from John Kozial this ‘trend’ can be put down to 1. Ascalapha odorata. https://en.wikipedia. to Cedric Gillott (January 2021). org/wiki/Ascalapha_odorata (accessed the provinces’ increased (human) 10. Hooper RR (1990) Check-list of the January 17, 2021). populations and hence the greater moths of Saskatchewan. Part 5: Arches likelihood of BWM vagrants being 2. Quinn M (2015) North American Black moths, similar-wings, grass moths and encountered. However, it is tempting Witch Records. http://texasento.net/witchna. underwings (Catocalinae). Blue Jay 48:79-83. htm (accessed January 17, 2021). to attribute some of this increase 11. Alberta Lepidopterists Guild (2021). to climate change, in particular the 3. E-mail correspondence between John E-mail correspondence from members to increased frequency and violence of Klymko (Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Cedric Gillott (January 2021). Centre) and Cedric Gillott (January 2021). tropical storms bringing the moth far 12. Alberta Lepidopterists Guild Newsletter to the north of its normal range. 4. Pohl GR, Landry J-F, Schmidt BC, (Fall 2020). http://www.albertalepguild. Lafontaine JD, Troubridge JT, Macaulay AD, ca/whats-happening/newsletter/ (accessed van Nieukirken EJ, deWaard JR, Dombroskie March 2, 2021). Acknowledgements JJ, Klymko J, Nazari, V, Stead K (2018) Anna Leighton asked me to Annotated Checklist of the Moths and 13. iNaturalist Observations Black Witch write this article and I thank her Butterflies (Lepidoptera) of Canada and (2021). https://www.inaturalist.org/ observations?place_id=6712&taxon_ for the enjoyment this task has Alaska. Pensoft, Sofia, Bulgaria. id=61503 (accessed January 17, 2021). given me and for comments on an 5. Ekrem T, Kevan PG, Woodcock TS, Hebert initial draft. John Kozial generously PDN (2014) The most northerly black witch 14. Butterflies and Moths of North America – Sighting 1259647. https:// shared his 2018 list with me, (Ascalapha odorata): a tropical moth in the Canadian Arctic. Canadian Field-Naturalist www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sighting_ while Felix Sperling circulated my 128:77-79. doi https://doi.org/10.22621/cfn. details/1259647 (accessed January 17, 2021). request for information to the v128i1.1554 15. E-mail from Brian Brunskill, 8 March Alberta Lepidopterists Guild. This 6. Heath EF (1904) List of additional 2020, with photograph, of the sighting at brought a strong response and I Manitoba Lepidoptera. The Canadian Dirt Hills. sincerely thank those who sent me Entomologist 36:269-272. their observations. Philip Griebel 7. Wolley Dodd FH (1906) Preliminary list of SUMMER 2021 VOLUME 79.2 BLUE JAY 29