Costa Rica moth
Location: Platanillo, Costa Rica
May 10, 2012 6:37 pm
This beauty was attached to the side of my casa today in Platanillo, Costa Rica – can you identify her? Your website contains a wealth of knowledge – thank you so much!
Signature: Paula
Possibly Automeris belti
Hi Paula,
This is one of the Giant Silkmoths, a group of large colorful moths, many with garish eyespots on the lower wings that have adapted to frighten off predators. Giant Silkmoths do not eat as adults and only live a few days to a week as adults. We believe we have identified your moth as Automeris belti and we will check with Bill Oehlke to verify that identification. Your photo reminds us of the colors of tropical sorbet.
Giant Silkmoth hiding its eye spots!!!
Bill Oehlke Concurs
HI Daniel,
Recently many new Automeris species were described.
If you have a more precise location in Costa Rica, that might help.
I cannot say for sure what it is. It might be belti, and that would be my
first guess, based on what I can see.
Platanillo, CR – 7 miles up from Playa Dominical. Thank you both for your help – it is such an incredible country to discover amazing new bugs! I have also seen another one of those inside my casa – I took it outside and it flew off to live another, eh few days – it’s wing-span was easily 7 inches across, yellow with spots 
Folks: I looked at the link for the Automeris belti – I found this poor baby in my casa a couple of weeks ago 
He was not nearly as big as the pale yellow ones I’ve seen, but of course looks precisely like the one in your link. I have also attached a pic of a stunning butterfly, which I took about a month ago.
Thanks so much for peaking my interest in these fascinating creatures. I love being in Costa Rica – I am a native Texan, and the butterflies in Dallas don’t hold a candle to the moths here. Keep up the great work!
Automeris belti
Thanks Paula,
We will try to identify your butterfly and create a distinct posting for it.
¶ Posted 11 May 2012 § ‡ ° What’s this moth?
Location: Central CT
May 6, 2012 10:36 pm
I photographed this moth on an outbuidling on May 16, 2010. It’s very beautiful and I was wondering what it is.
Signature: Ken
Rosy Maple Moth
Hi Ken,
This is a Rosy Maple Moth, Dryocampa rubicunda. They seem to be more common some years than others and we have not had a year with numerous sightings since 2005.
¶ Posted 07 May 2012 § ‡ ° Beautiful Luna Moth
Location: Boyce, Virginia
May 4, 2012 5:10 pm
I submitted a beetle for identification but I also wanted to share you my special visit from a Luna moth! I was honored it rested upon my hand for a moment after I saved it from a spider web.
Signature: Admin of Plants, Fungus & Bugs…Oh My!
Luna Moth
Dear Admin of Plants, …
The Luna Moth is surely the most distinctive of all North American Moths and many folks consider it to be the prettiest North American moth. Though you deprived a spider of a healthy meal, we have to honor you with our Bug Humanitarian Award tag.
Polyphemus Moth?
Location: Birmingham, AL
April 28, 2012 6:03 am
We came home this evening to find a visitor hanging out on our screen door. It’s about 5” across. It doesn’t have the ”feathery antennae” of male polyphemus moths, so I’m guessing it may be a female? Any help is appreciated! Also, it has stayed on the screen very still for several hours now, despite us going in and out of the door. Is this normal, and is the moth safe? Thanks!
Signature: T. Noland
Polyphemus Moth
Dear T. Noland,
Your identification of a female Polyphemus Moth is correct. A female Giant Silkmoth filled with eggs has a heavy cargo to lift, and since she does not feed as an adult, she is judicious about the expenditure of energy. If she does not mate, she will die without reproducing. If she stays in place releasing pheromones for several days, she doesn’t run the risk of falling prey to the many predators that would welcome a good meal provided by her body full of eggs. The male will be able to scent her out with his antennae. If she stays in place, she may eventually attract a mate and then she will fly off to lay eggs.
¶ Posted 28 April 2012 § ‡ ° Cecropia and Promethea
Location: South Illinois
April 24, 2012 1:52 pm
Here is a female Promethea and a male Cecropia hanging out on my screen.
We sent you a picture of a male Promethea we found last year.
Signature: Bert
Promethea (left) and Cecropia Moths
Hi Bert,
How lucky were you to witness this great scene. Folks lucky enough to live in areas where conditions are suited to sustaining Giant Silkmoths are likely to see them on a yearly basis.
¶ Posted 25 April 2012 § ‡ ° Moth?
Location: Escondido, CA (North Inland San Diego)
April 22, 2012 6:11 pm
This moth was found sitting on the wall outside of our garage early this morning (4/22/12) in Escondido, Ca. It is a very large, brown moth and it has eyelash like antennas. It hasn’t moved at all today. I have researched online and cannot seem to figure out what species it is. If you can help, that would be great!
Signature: Kaylynn
Polyphemus Moth
Hi Kaylynn,
This is a male Polyphemus Moth. The feathery antennae indicate his sex since he used his antennae to sense the pheromones of the female. Polyphemus Moths are found coast to coast across North America, but west coast sightings are not as common as sighting in the eastern part of the country.
¶ Posted 23 April 2012 § ‡ ° Very beautiful bug
Location: Louisville, KY
April 4, 2012 9:43 am
I found this bug today at my work.
Signature: Curious
Luna Moth
Dear Curious,
This beautiful creature is a Luna Moth. One of our yearly activities is to track Luna Moth sightings as they move from the southern portion of the range in Texas and Florida in the early months of the year to the northern portion of the range in Maine and Canada by May and June as spring warmth moves to northern latitudes. Your Kentucky sighting is our most northern this year.
We have had VERY unusual warm weather EARLY. The whole month of February felt like April.
Male Polyphemus?
Location: Spring, TX
April 3, 2012 12:52 pm
We found this gorgeous fellow when I came home for lunch today (April 3rd). Looks like a male polyphemus moth? We got several hi-res pictures of him before helping him locate a good tree to bed down in. I’d like to send all the pics to you and let you post the ones you like. A couple of samples are attached here.
Signature: Brian Legg
Polyphemus Moth
Hi Brian,
We agree, based on the well feathered antennae, that this Polyphemus Moth is a male. Your attached photos show both the upper wings the undersides, and they should help our readers identify Polyphemus Moths in the future. Now that spring has arrived and much of the country is experiencing warmer weather, we expect Giant Silkmoth sightings to rise rapidly.
Polyphemus Moth
Hi again,
This guy was so happy to pose for our cameras, we wanted to send a couple more shots of him to give an idea of the size and to show a good shot of the underside of his wings. Thanks for the quick confirmation on my original submission and keep up the great work! We love the site!
Signature: Brian Legg
¶ Posted 03 April 2012 § ‡ ° 
rss
I like This
