Ailanthus Webworm Moths and Paper Wasps

I always leave my back porch light on during the spring and summer to attract moths, and I got lucky this past June with this pretty Ailanthus Webworm Moth.

I hit the jackpot when I found several of these moths on Goldenrods in a field this past fall on October 10th.

They have orange wings that they roll and tuck to their sides when at rest. I wasn't lucky enough to catch them flying though. I would have loved to see their wings. These moths don't do any damage but their caterpillars do. You can find the caterpillars from spring to fall on the Ailanthus Tree which is also called the "Tree of Heaven" They eat the leaves, flowers and seeds of the tree. But that is a good thing because the Ailanthus tree is an invasive weed tree.

I was happy to see a couple of wasps join the Ailanthus Webworm Moths. The moths are good pollinators and visit many different flowers each day. Yes, these moths can be found during the day.

If you look closely, you will see that I got a photo of the wasp's face. Yay! You might have to strain your eyes; look at the lower right.

Now let's get a closer look at the wasp. This is a Paper Wasp.

There are approximately 700 species worldwide and only 22 species are found in North America. They sip nectar for energy and sting caterpillars to feed their larvae. Paper wasps chew plant and wood fibers, mix them up with their saliva and make papery nests; hence their name.

They only sting when defending their nest and I heard that their sting is very painful. My advice is to leave them alone and let them do their thing.

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