On Monday July 6th, 2026 - Moe B and I setup a light sheet at Cedar Creek. Moe is greatly interested in all insects but has a particular love of the Underwing Moths.
Moe discovered the first Sad Underwing in Canada a few years ago and they have become a little more present over the years as their range may be moving northward.
So last night at around 11:30 Moe noted his first underwing moth of the summer. He wasnt sure if it was conubial underwing but asked me to photograph it and upload to inat for an AI ID. To my shock - Inat suggested Praeclara underwing - and I went with the first suggestion. It was a lifer for me but still very rare for Moe.
Then this morning, a fellow inat moth expert suggested my initial ID was wrong - it was a Sweet Underwing (Catocala dulciola)! This is a rare moth (not even in the david beetle moth field guide)... and the first sighting of this species in Canada!!!
Here is a link to the first sighting:
https://www.inaturalist.ca/observations/378975615
So in conclusion... This Sweet Underwing is a first record in Canada... and I think it was a Sweet find!!!
Good Mothing!
