Don't forget the moths on night shift!

What do you do to attract moths to your property?

First thing I did was start shutting off all my porch lights then we bought motion detector flood lights that go off after a set period of time. We removed all of the lighting along the driveway and put in elcheapo reflectors to guide people in and out.

Next thing I did was to start creating a moon garden. I'm still working on that to this day. I add a few white/light colored and night blooming plants here and add a few more white/light colored and night blooming plants there and figure it's an ongoing project. Many moths need to sip a little nectar too! Did I mention some like tree sap and fruit juice? Some moths like tree sap and fruit juice.

Nectar feeding moths are very important to many species of plants that depend upon them for pollination yet meeting the habitat requirements of moths is often overlooked because the vast majority of them are nocturnal. Although moths greatly outnumber butterflies and are the superior pollinator because of their sheer numbers, butterflies still get all the good press.

Nope, don't have a moon garden, but sure like the idea. Would like some suggestions on plant choices and placement.
Should they be planted together for impact, or amongst other plants around the garden for highlighted spots?

My kids and I just learned some fascinating facts about yucca moths: if not for this moth, yuccas would go unpollinated. This moth spends a whole year as a pupa underground and a few days as an adult. It only emerges when the yuccas are blooming - if yuccas don't bloom, they don't emerge and stay a pupa up to 30 yrs. if conditions require it. The moth collects pollen and shapes it into a pellet which she then takes to another flowers' parts and rubs it on. Because the cats eat the seeds of the yucca, the moth only lays 1-2 eggs in flowers where no other eggs are. This way, not all the seeds are eaten and the plant propogates. Small, and not pretty, this moth is apparently very important to the yucca's survival in the wild.

Thank you for posting about the moths. I had started a moon garden several years ago, but got side tracked. I have a white Brugmansia I hope somebody is enjoying at night. Or are the blooms closed at night?

Indirt, I agree, thanks for posting about the yucca moths. With all the yuccas around here I should have known about them, but I didn't. I'll be paying a lot more attention to my yucca blooms next year, thanks to your info.

I had four large white lantana bushes back in TX that attracted those huge hummingbird moths late in the day. I never thought about it before...would they have been attracted if the lantanas had not been the white variety?

I'll have to think about what white-blooming plants can stand our heat here, and see which moths we have here in the desert.

Equi- this is a challenging and noble idea for gardens - are there criteria we should follow - like only white flowers? Is there a list of plants that you would suggest? Do we place these plants all together or amongst others?

This is an idea that could catch fire!
We eagerly await more info....

Information is sparce. What little I was able to gather was scattered over the web in oddball places. I know I saved a site specifically on moths of the southwest which would be great for you and oldmudhouse. I've been trying to find my notes and I can't locate them right now. I know they are on this hard drive somewhere but I may have to wait for my husband to come home from camping in the wild outdoors (ha ha ha, better him than sleeping on the hard ground than me) with the kids next week to find them. They do a search somehow that can pull up word documents if I know some of the phrases that would be in the document. I know the phrases and some of the technical terms but I don't know enough about computers to do my own search. In answer to your question about criteria- yes.

Here's the site I used to gather basic information to start up-
http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/education/moth/
I can't do the "fermenting fruit juices" here or I'd end up with raccoons out my rear but I wish somebody would try it to tell me how it goes. I recall reading about many people having great success attracting moths and butterflies by the obvious which is planting indigenous species but also by putting out rotting peaches, pears, and mellon rinds. No, I haven't done this but I'd like to. I suppose rotten apples would work too based on what I recall having read.

Here are some of the basic moth ID sites that I have used-

Identification of moth families
http://facweb.furman.edu/~snyderjohn/leplist/identify.htm

Moths of North America
http://www.cirrusimage.com/moths.htm

Other than those links above, I recall there being a National Moth Night but when it is would be beyond me without my notes. I also had saved a link on a red ribbon being taped to something or other... again, without my notes I haven't a clue what that something or other was that the red ribbons were taped to or why but it had been my intent to try taping a few red ribbons somewhere. Lemme see here, a good way to check your yard for the "Night Shift" is to place red cellophane (you can get it at party shops) over a flashlight to go prowling. The red cellophane helps you illuminate your moths and when you shine it on them they don't fly away! For real! Try it and it really works. Of all that I read, the mutualistic relationships out there between moths and indigenous plants were absolutely fascinating to me. This was the main reason I started the moon garden. Moths are definitely wanted over here on my property. They are most assuredly the kings of pollination blowing the socks off of butterflies in that department.

I certainly understand the "put something on something, by something somewhere over here..." when it is on the computer, it is worse! I know how to do those searches you are speaking of, but I don't always find exactly what I am looking for. I only use that as a last resort. I think some things just disappear like socks in the dryer.

Well, I am going to start by looking for some native plants that have white flowers....

oldmudhouse - if you find any, let me know, I could probably use them, too.

How do you do the search? I know I started researching info on moths in 2002 but I added to it winter of '05 before I placed a few orders for spring of last year. I know that the search included a span of months that a file was last modified which would probably be Jan-March '05. I have no doubt the word mutualism will appear laced throughout what I saved. I also recall that adding any native Phlox to one's landscape was about as good as it gets. So I would be searching for a document that contained the words moths, mutualism, and phlox.

Thanks Equilibrium! I did some poking around and found this article about attracting moths in southwestern regions. He also talks about attracting moths with that nice smelly potion of fermented fruit and beer that you mentioned:
http://www.desertmuseum.org/books/nhsd_moths.html
(Seems like that potion would make my ground squirrels quite tipsy.)

Indirt, I think lost socks are one of the great mysteries of the universe.

I looked for articles about “moth gardens” or “attracting moths”, and it seems like pale blooms, especially white, open at night, with strong sweet scents, are the ones that moths can find easily. Also, some plants that have bunches of small tubular flowers are mentioned. Here are some that came up:

-- Angels Trumpet (Brugmansia)
-- Common garden petunia (Petunia x hybrida)
-- Common heliotrope (Heliotropium arborescens) Zone 10-11 (possibly zone 9); annual elsewhere
-- Common lilac (Syringa vulgaris) Zone 3-7
-- Fairy Duster (Calliandra eriophylla) Zone 7b-11
-- Madonna lily (Lilium candidum) Zone 3-7
-- Wild Four O'Clock, (Mirabilis longiflora) Zone 9-11
-- Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium) Zone 2-9 (native plant, endangered in some areas)
-- Moonflower, Moon Vine (Ipomoea alba) Zone 8-11
-- Oleander (Nerium oleander) Zone 8-11
-- Phlox (zones vary with species)
-- Rabbit-brush (Ericameria nauseosus) Zone 4-9
-- Rabbit-brush (Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus)
-- Night-blooming nicotianas (Nicotiana) annual/biennial depending on species
-- Scarlet gilia (Ipomopsis aggregata) biennial, Zone 4-11

The following plants were also mentioned, but these may be invasive for some areas, so you'll want to do your homework first:
-- Climbing dogbane (Trachelospermum difforme) Zone 8a-10b. May be invasive
-- Jimson weed, Devil's Trumpet (Datura wrightii) Zone 7-10 Poisonous and may be invasive
-- Evening primrose (Oenothera) Some species are invasive, some are not
-- Four O’ Clock (Mirabilis) (zones vary with species) May be invasive
-- Night-scented stock (Matthiola longipetala or Matthiola bicornis) Annual, may be invasive
-- Scarlet Gaura (Gaura coccinea) May be invasive

Note: since my original post I've tried to add zone info for some of the plants. These are all over the landscape (no pun intended) as far as hardiness zones go, so I'll need to do more research to see what would work in my own zone. I'm awfully dry here, too, no sissy plants for me.

Thought I’d post these here in case Equilibrium or others have any comments about them (or, even better, any warnings against them.) I'm sure not a plant expert, so I suggest using this info as a rough guide to beginning your own research about what might work for you. :-)

LulaLu, Brugmansias were mentioned, so someone is probably enjoying your white blooms!
Sheri

(edited to remove Bouncing Bet, and to group plants separately that may be invasive)

This message was edited Aug 9, 2006 11:13 PM

Er uh... I got to the second plant on that list and about had a heart attack. I've got a few comments but need to get my butt in to work. Do you have the link to the source of that list? Bouncing Bet is a harmful invasive.

The link you posted for attracting southwestern moths is one of the links I had in my little lost file. Good sleuthing!

That's good news about my angel's trumpet and I also have white phlox.

I kind of thought some of the plants might be questionable, and I really appreciate any input. I can do the sleuthing part OK but you folks with more plant knowledge please feel free to comment! I'll go back up and remove Bouncing Bet to avoid problems for anyone that finds this thread in the future. I can also go back over the list to check for invasive problems and zone info, if I have time later today.

The Bouncing Bet was on a list for moth garden plants at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden website. It was the longest list I found:
http://www.bbg.org/gar2/topics/wildlife/1998su_moths.html

I find moths absolutely fascinating. I have evening primrose in my garden and am always loathe to pull them as I know how much the moths love them. Besides, they are pretty!

I would love to grow fireweed in my garden! It's one of my favorite wild flowers, but I don't know how common it is here in Maine. It's much prettier than the ubiquitous and noxious purple loosestrife!

Couldn't agree more, Kniphofia. When I go up to Newfoundland each summer I'm enchanted by the drifts of Fireweed. Does it grow wild in Maine? I never see it in New Jersey.

I've been working on the list above and just researched Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium) in PlantFiles. Two negative comments say it's invasive. What do you folks think?
I'm not familiar with it, but I'm trying to avoid listing plants that might be troublesome. Meanwhile, I'll keep researching the others...
Sheri

I checked the USDA Database and it's listed as endangered in some areas and invasive in others. It's a native.

Thank you Fireweed87, I've added a note above!

Tee he, The Brooklyn Botanic Garden should be a little bit more responsible. Bouncing Bet??? Me thinks somebody working with moths be smokin' whacky tobaccy with that suggestion but there are a few others that are pretty nasty up there in that list also. I don't get why they would list that particular plant given the natives are such naturals in this particular situation but then again I never did understand why so many people who want to attract butterflies to their gardens plant Butterfly Bush. Is there any listing of invasive plants that doesn't include Butterfly Bush these days?

Regarding some of the plants on the list above, I think this about says it all-

Trachelospermum difforme is an invasive as well as a noxious weed and then they listed Four o’ clocks (Mirabilis spp.) which are highly invasive as well as Night-scented stock (Matthiola bicornis) which is now invading natural areas and sure to end up on invasive lists in no time flat. Eeek, Matthiola is from the mustard family??? Who in their right mind would intentionally want to plant an introduced mustard if they knew what it really was? Ericameria nauseosa is actually a great native for moths (I think it might even by a host plant as well as a nectar plant which means it's a double hitter) but given they listed it as being Chrysothamnus nauseosus, I’m thinking this article might have drawn upon dated literature since they changed the binomial on that well over 5 years ago. The Madonna lily (Lilium candidum) isn’t too much of a problem but it is an introduced species that was recently added to a few watch lists. The Fairy Duster (Calliandra eriophylla) is an awesome plant for moths and the Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium) is also a great choice. Both are natives but only the Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium) is endangered or threatened. Both of those might be host plants as well as nectar plants too. There are many evening primroses. Some are introduced and some are natives. Even the native primroses can be aggressive but the introduced primroses are generally beyond being merely aggressive and are on the invasive side. I’d think you’d almost have to look each Oenothera up individually to make sure you didn’t end up with more than what you bargained for. The others on the list seem benign enough. I keep looking at that list and thinking "why" with so many natives available that really do fit the bill for moths? The only thing I could come up with is that all of those plants release their fragrance at night which would be when moths would be most active so little or no thought was given as to whether any of the plants on the list were invasive or not or potentially invasive just whether moths would be attracted to them or not.

Ah ha! Bingo! Just what everyone was waiting for! I knew there was a National Moth Night! Lucky us!
National Moth Night-
http://www.nationalmothnight.info/2006/species.php

Good site for indirt-
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/rdsduse/tx.htm

Have fun ladies! I still plan on getting somebody to help me find my notes and when I do, I'll post what is in them. I know I had at least 5 or 6 great websites but maybe more. I'm sort of looking forward to solving the mystery of the red ribbons myself.

Thank you! I've cleaned up the list a bit to separate the more benign plants from the potential troublemakers. (Now everyone is forewarned!)

If other folks have suggestions for plants, please post! I am sure there are other good candidates out there, these are just some I found while poking around.

I'm still looking for the red ribbon mention info, will post back if I find it.

Tis actually, on somewhat of an International scale, folks > http://www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/projects/nmn.htm .. and .. http://www.nationalmothnight.info/2006/species.php

Edited: to 'fix' my links ..

This message was edited Aug 11, 2006 7:06 PM

Looks like you've listed the same link twice, Magpye. Did you intend to list another site?

((thanks, Fireweed87)) Got her fixed up.

My secretary taught me how to search! I found my file!

Here are the links I saved excluding those I already found on line and posted above-

For Kids-
http://www.edhelper.com/AnimalReadingComprehension_72_1.html

Regarding Native Phlox being a moth magnet-
http://butterflywebsite.com/articles/bgq/Phlox.htm

For lack of a moth, an orchid is lost-
http://www.r6.fws.gov/feature/orchid.html

Feeding a Hummingbird That's Really a Moth
http://www.nwf.org/nationalwildlife/article.cfm?issueID=34&articleID=341

Know your friends (interesting re-read)
http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/mbcn/kyf401.html

Basic mutualism-
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio106/pollinat.htm

On nectar-
http://www.bb.iastate.edu/necgex/Nectar.htm

Hummingbird Imposters-
http://mdc.mo.gov/conmag/2001/06/10.htm

Poplar Hawk Moth-
http://ladywildlife.com/animal/poplarhawkmoth.html

extend search to theory of mutualisms with the incorporation of resource-use dynamics

I just went on line and found these sites which were a good read:

Colorado State's Q & A about Miller Moths-
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/tips-millers.html

Mutualism and Epicephala Moths-
http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/content/full/91/9/1319

Mutualism and Senita Moths-
http://fig.cox.miami.edu/~djanos/bil336_01/27_mar.html

Ta da!
Red Ribbon mystery solved! Here's the link-
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/butterfly_gardening/77004/1

This thread just gets excitinger and excitinger! Sorry I was away so long!

Mirabilis multiflora is a native and very difficult to find at a nursery here (nobody had it this year). Unfortunately, it isn't a white bloomer. Most people are familiar w/ the Japanese varieties which indeed ARE invasive or it is like oldmudhouse says - zone, zone, zone.

The Oenothera's invasiveness does depend on specie, but also growing conditions. Like most prairie species, if taken out of the prairie and put into a cultured garden, they will take over with their superior survival skills - on the prairie they have many competitors and are only watered when it rains.

Thanks Equi for the website - never seen it and it is now in my favorites. It has some exciting useful info not found other places.

Your other websites are WOW informative, too. Thanks for all the work you have done to find them and share them!

Excited for you oldmudhouse! I found a native to your area that "opens in the evening with the scent of gardenias" Flor De San Juan (Macrosiphonia macrosiphon) grows only in dry, rocky slopes FS/PS. I think it will grow here, too - I am on the very edge of its growing range and I definitely have a dry, rocky slope. Now, to find it at a nursery or seed supply.....

BTW what was the Bouncing Bet? Just curious after all the mentions of it!

Bouncing Bet showed up in a list on line as being a plant that was "good" for moths. Just stick Saponaria officinalis + invasive in any search engine and that should bring up the mother load. Not exactly a plant anyone would want to intentionally introduce.

That list was my personal list. I was working on creating habitat for moths and those were sites I had set aside in a word document for me to be able to go back to. I've been working on a moon garden for a while because of moths.

Thanks Indirt, that Flor De San Juan (Macrosiphonia macrosiphon) is listed as a Chihuahuan desert plant so it should be right up my alley. My slopes are more dry and sandy than dry and rocky, but I bet it would work. Did a very quick look and it may be tricky to find seeds, but if/when I find a source I will post back here.

I saw two patches of Datura growing wild by the road recently, blooming like mad with those huge white trumpets in spite of the blazing sun...may go back to harvest some of those seeds. I think one of the Oenothera species will fit my yard too. I'll choose carefully, and the rather harsh environment here will keep them in a well-behaved mode.

Thanks for all the great info, Equilibrium!!

oldmudhouse - I guess that plant is just too good to be true. We just have to find someone who has it in their yard willing to share some seeds or divisions? Ah, what a treasure it would be (dreaming....)

I found two more - are you familiar w/ Vauquelinia angustifolia? I don't know how it would do for moon gardens - never seen the blooms.
The other is Penstemon pseudospectabilis - supposed to grow in the Trans-Pecos part of TX.

Will keep you informed of new finds...

Correction: looked up Penstemon pseudospectabilis and found High Country Gardens sells it - has hot pink flowers.

Wichita Valley nursery has on their website that the bloom is white. I just don't know if they mail out - I think maybe not. I will have to visit there sometime as they seem to have a lot of natives lots of places don't. It is just a 4 hr. drive one way....
Perhaps they have heard of the Macrosiphonia!

I'm just winging this, but I'm not sure the blooms have to be white to be attractive to moths...the fireweed listed above is a fairly bright pink (I think?)...I do love penstemons, but haven't tried any here yet. I may need to find a dappled shade place for those since our sun is so harsh. When we hike up in the Organ Mountains we only find the penstemons lurking in shady valleys and crevices. OK, now I need two moth gardens...one full sun, and one part shade!

This site says the Vauquelinia angustifolia has white blooms:
http://www.mswn.com/Plant%20Info%20Sheets/Vauquelinia%20corymbosa%20ssp%20angustifolia.pdf
I'm not familiar with it but it looks like a very pretty shrub/tree, and might be good cover for my quail, which is also high on my "want" list. I'll have to see if I can find it locally.

We have one native nursery here in town. They have a good selection of native plants that the other nurseries would never dream of carrying. Of course they're not inexpensive either (sniffle.) The owner said she'd be getting in her fall plants soon and I'll drop in and see if she has any recommendations since we'd probably have similar requirements.

Ask her for the Microsiphonia - they may not carry it now, but she might be able to look for it for you. I had a nursery lady give me (free) a plant I had been looking everywhere for and no one had it - anywhere. She said a friend had some in her yard and dug them up for her to pass on to me.

Networking! I love it!

Remember, some plants are hosts and some are nectaring. I think the lighter colors are preferable but moths still need host plants just like butterflies do. Perhaps the Penstemon pseudospectabilis is a host plant?

Are penstemons generally hostplants?

Most of my available books on lepidopteras do not include moths. The one book that I can think of that does include them is buried in a box somewhere and it isn't very good. Are moths just the "undiscovered country"?

I think I will do some searching for sites.

I've found very little information about actual host plants for moths. (music to Star Trek: the next generation playing in back ground). Add to this their lack of popularity amongst wildlife gardeners due to their nocturnal nature and overall camoflauge characteristics during the day and I suspect this may very well be the underlying reason there is little research out there comparatively speaking. I think butterflies captivate more people therefore there is considerably more research out there and available for those who garden for butterflies. We moth folk are basically reduced to planting species that are indigenous to our local areas. Moth mutualism is out there, it just isn't enjoying the popularity we would like.

I just did a quick search for Penstemon as a host and found that "half-grown Baltimore checkerspot caterpillars often seek out Penstemon as a food source". Not that the range of Euphydryas phaeton extends west of the Rockies but if it did, they'd have a food source. It would appear Penstemon digitalis has a place in an ecosystem as a host but only for this particular species of butterfly which doesn't exist in NM or TX. So, if you plant it, it would be pretty but not practical. Back to sustainable gardening principles. The critters in our general areas will have co-evolved with plants from the general area. We may not know all the specific hosts due to limited information on the subject but it's generally a safe bet to go with species that would have normally occurred in your County prior to colonization by Europeans.

Have you ever noticed something eating your poison ivy?
Actually, I have been told by some people that I have poison oak and other people that it is poison ivy. There are plants that it is difficult to tell the difference, but I believe I have both. I think it was on poison ivy that I found a caterpillar - small, bright yellow w/ black shiny spots. I think it might have had some horns (can't remember). Later in the summer, we were eating hamburgers outside and a clearwinged moth landed on my plate and stuck its proboscis in my ketchup drips. It looked like a fishing lure after realizing it wasn't a hornet. The clear wings stuck straight out like a dragonfly, the abdomen was narrow and horizontally striped yellow and black w/ vertical rows of fuzzy hairs on his behind like an arrow's feathers. I believe it was in the wasp moth genus, but never found any pictures exactly like it. I've always wondered if the moth I saw came from the caterpillar I saw? It sure liked ketchup.

On the moth popularity - we can change that. Supply and demand.

Hey, I think we should contact the Brooklyn Botanical Garden and advise them to substitute ketchup for Bouncing Bet on their list of moth attractions. Sure, it's messy, but much less invasive and easier to find.

I found a mention of Flor De San Juan (Macrosiphonia macrosiphon) on an outdated herbal remedy website...contacted the herb company in Albuquerque...they replied it's a very rare plant and are no longer able to offer it because they don't have a source for it. (Now I'm really determined, grrrr.)

I also found a very good list of recommended native plants for Las Cruces/El Paso from UTEP, including notes for attracting moths. Using that I've narrowed my list down to these:
- Mirabilis multiflora (Desert Four o' Clock) zone 4-8, found it at High Country Gardens
- Mirabilis longiflora (Sweet Four o' Clock) (anniesannuals.com)
- Oenothera caespitosa (White Evening Primrose) zone 4-9 (High Country Gardens)
- Oenothera organensis (Organ Mountains Evening Primrose) still looking for this one, endemic my area. Oddly it blooms yellow, but it’s pollinated by the sphinx moth.
- Datura (Jimson Weed,Devil's Trumpet) whichever variety is blooming along roadsides here right now...gonna go swipe seeds.

Also found another good article on attracting hawkmoths:
http://www.botgard.ucla.edu/html/MEMBGNewsletter/Volume4number2/Theplantsthatlovehawkmoths.html

My goodness I’ve learned a lot from playing on this thread.

LOL - can just see it now - being arrested for the ketchup stains all over my garden!

I'm growling right w/ ya! Maybe it is worth taking a few trips into the wild to find one? We'd have to make sure collecting seeds/plants isn't unlawful. I've been wanting to head out your way b/c my husband doesn't believe me about the giant grasshoppers in W. TX. I don't know if you have them where you are, but they were the size of medium to large hamsters. We thought that is what it was when we saw a lady bent over walking behind one at a rest stop. We thought she was walking her hamster until we noticed they were everywhere. They couldn't land on their feet - always jumped and landed on their backs and had to turn over. They "walked" a lot more than most grasshoppers do.

Hey - I have a desert 4-oclock! Gonna see if I can find/get some more to grow.

Well, for hawkmoths we know that we can grow cats on Pentas (I did this summer) and most people call them tomato hornworms, so I assume they grow on tomatoes despite that I have never seen one on a tomato. I only find them on the ground crawling to find their pupa spot.

What plants have people seen them on?

No, thank goodness I have not seen any hamster-sized grasshoppers here! (LOL walking her hamster...!) Y'all can just keep those there in Texas. We have some pretty respectable buggies here among the tarantulas, scorpions, and centipedes, but I'd rather have those than giant grasshoppers.

There is actually a Chihuahuan Desert park not far from us where you can hike. I don't recall seeing anything like the Macrosiphonia when we've been there, but I'm going to take my camera next time to document the plants I do see. We didn't live here last Spring, so I'll be sure to go stomping around out there when we get to the wildflower season. I would imagine collecting seeds is not allowed, but I'll see what I can find out.

I used to have a healthy crop of big juicy green hornworms on my coral honeysuckle vine (Lonicera sempervirens) every year. I'm not certain which moth they turned into...but they sure could do a number on the leaves of my vine in a big hurry. Hummingbirds loved the blooms, and the hornworms loved the leaves. I need to stick one of those in the ground around here somewhere.

Most birds migrating south eat the berries of poison ivy. There won't be a berry left on any of the plants once they pass through. I sort of hate to point this out but Poison Ivy is a native plant- tee he. It does serve a purpose so if you can see fit to leave a few be, it's probably a good idea.

I was sort of disappointed when reading the Brooklyn Botanical Garden's site.

No hamster sized grasshoppers here either- you keep em!

I do not know my moths that well but I can tell you the plants I noticed them attracted to here in my yard in Illinois-
Viburnum nudum ‘Winterthur’
Ceanothus americanus
Hydrangea arborescens
Rhus aromatica
Euphorbia corollata
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Sanguisorba canadensis
Spiranthes cernua
Gillian Blades Clematis
Itea virginica
Heuchera americana
Prunus pumila
Cornus Canadensis
Potentilla tridentata
Anaphilis margaritacea
Echinacea purpurea
Liatris spicata
Lysimachia clethroides
Gentiana andrewsii
Lilium martagon album
Amsonia tabernaemontana
Mitchella repens
Amelanchier stolonifera
Clethera alnifolia
Spiraea tomentosa
Scutellaria galericulata
Lycopus americanus
Salvia azurea
Lespedeza capitata
Gentiana alba
Lupinus perennis
Campanula glomerata

Not that this list is going to help you southwesterners but there might be some people lurking from the eastern states who are interested in moths.

I must admit that with so many mosquitoes, I don't stay out very long. I last until my arms and legs are covered in welts and that's about it. Normally I walk around outside after I have taken a bath and I don't feel like coating myself with bug spray which is why I don't last that long outside. I have so many moths around here that I couldn't begin to tell anyone what I have. Most are non descript but there are a few that are quite beautiful. The yard is alive at night. I'm still hoping to see another Lunar Moth someday. So far no luck but maybe someday. My goal is to actually sit and take notes about what the moths are actually doing around these plants.

I don't have grasshoppers that size around here, either - somewhere between where I live and where mudhouse lives, there was a rest stop.... And there were also giant white lilies on lush dk green mats of leaves on the sides of the interstate. I was pretty sure someone had lost their funeral wreath, but then I saw more and more. Tumbleweeds going by, no trees in sight - crazy people living in mobile homes with dead looking cars in their yards in the middle of the TX desert and LUSH lilies. Someone told me once what they were and I forgot - said they were some kind of weed. Sounds like the kind of weed I'd want in my yard if I was livin' out there!

mudhouse - have you seen Santa Claus town? It is somewhere by the border of TX/NM. There were a few old-west-town looking buildings, a car, a couple trucks, a dog, but no people. It looked deserted.

Equi - YOU HAVE BUNCHBERRY? I didn't think it could grow so far south - it could barely stand the heat in my MN suburb - had to water it all the time. Lucky you! What a beautiful dogwood. I thought coming to TX I was going to be able to grow the tree. I can, but I would have to keep watering it.

I also have the Rhus aromatica - at least I think it is what it is - has lobed leaves? It is growing under the trees all over the woods.

So I guess what you are saying is to go out at night several times (flights) in the summer and see what we already have that attracts moths?

I have Bunchberry. I bought it from Dragonfly Nurseries in Wisconsin. I thought northern Illinois was the southern most tip of its range. I'm going to have to whip out my Plants of the Chicago Region book by Swink and Willhelm and check it out now. You are making me think and it is too early in the morning for thinking.

Unless you've been removing noxious and invasive plants and planting back scads of native plants for quite a few years, your yard will be limited. If you are going to go out at night, get into natural areas or participate in night walks with groups of people who are going out specifically to see what goes bump in the night. Most native plant organizations will organize night walks of native preserves as well as parks that focus on native plants that close at dusk. Come to think of it Sierra and Audubon also may offer night walks. That's where you will pick up some ideas. That was how I got some of my ideas. All of the plants I listed above were planted back after removing noxious weeds and invasives. I wasn't really interested in moths until I went on a moonlight walk with a children's group. Oh my my my! A whole new world. I think I got more out of that tour than the kids and then I just expanded from there.

As there are few references as to exactly what to plant for moths, I just keep plugging along planting species in the natural areas of my property that are indigenous to my County. I have added upwards of 10,000 native plants to this property and that is no exaggeration. That gives me somewhat of an advantage being able to go out at night to poke around. I am also right across the street from County land and a few miles away from a several hundred acre wetlands demonstration project in one direction and a few miles down the road from a several hundred acres Forest Preserve and a few miles further from a State Park on the Lake that has well over a thousand acres. Add to this that a portion of my property backs up to more Forest Preserve land. I'm spoiled.

Rhus aromatica leaves-
http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/mbierner/bio406d/images/pics/ana/Rhus%20aromatica%20youngleaves2.jpg