while i dont have a a way to indicate size in these photos, this moth was definitely smaller to me than the M marcida i had a few nights ago
These small caterpillars apparently feed only on redbud.The ½-inch-long caterpillars are black with white markings and are extremely active when disturbed. They fold edges of leaves together or fasten two leaves together with strands of silk and feed within the shelter thus formed. When leaves are pulled apart, the worms usually go into a frenzy of thrashing about before dropping to the soil. There are two generations each summer. When mature, the leaffolders pupate within the shelter. The second generation of leaffolders overwinters as pupae in the fallen leaves. The adult is a small, black or very dark brown moth with white spots about ¼ inch long that first emerges in late April or early May. They lay their eggs near the veins. The second generation of eggs are laid in a thin web insided the folded shelter. The moths are also extremely active and run, jump and fly readily when disturbed.
Attracted to a low-cost DJ blacklight setup (more info about setup below) near the end of the open trail at the Deering Estate North Addition Preserve, right where the mangroves start
Other observations from this sheet: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?nelat=25.62791011255226&nelng=-80.29717907946788&on=2021-10-07&place_id=any&project_id=blacklighting-florida&swlat=25.627245067614222&swlng=-80.29973120134555&user_id=joemdo&verifiable=any
I set up another sheet closer to the salt marsh/beginning of the trail. It ended up raining and that sheet got washed out unfortunately. Observations from that sheet before the rain: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?nelat=25.62846541190498&nelng=-80.29840778848276&on=2021-10-07&place_id=any&project_id=blacklighting-florida&swlat=25.627800370058946&swlng=-80.30095991036043&user_id=joemdo&verifiable=any
Observations from walking the trail:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?nelat=25.628637833987785&nelng=-80.296210582859¬_in_project=blacklighting-florida&on=2021-10-07&place_id=any&project_id=blacklighting-florida&swlat=25.627307748512802&swlng=-80.30131482661434&user_id=joemdo&verifiable=any
More info about this blacklight setup via a youtube video from Summer 2020: https://youtu.be/tavmTa7WoPk