BIG, fat, hairy moth
Location: Prescott, Arizona
September 5, 2011 11:59 am
I found this BIG, fat, hairy moth attached to the outside of my kitchen window screen one morning. He stayed there for 2 days without moving. Not sure what he was doing there, but it was the weirdest thing. I’m guessing he’s a species of silk month, but would love to know more.
Signature: Dear Curious
Polyphemus Moth or Not???
Dear Curious,
At first we were going to write back to you that this was a Polyphemus Moth, Antheraea polyphemus, a species that is found in all 48 lower United States, however, we had second thoughts on our identification because a closely related species, the Oculea Silkmoth, Antheraea oculea, is found only in Arizona and generally at higher elevations, making Prescott a possible habitat conducive to the Oculea Silkmoth’s needs. The main distinguishing feature between the two species is the coloration that is visible when the wings are opened, hence our reluctance to identify a species. Here is a closed view of a Polyphemus Moth from BugGuide, and one from an Oculea Silkmoth also from BugGuide. We can tell you for certain that your individual is a male because of his antennae.
Awesome! Thanks for the quick reply. I never saw this thing with its wings open – but the second one you mentioned (Oculea Silkmoth) certainly looks like my moth!
1
¶ Posted 05 September 2011 § ‡ ° Large Red/Orange & white striped moth or butterfly?
Location: Conover, NC Jack-in-the-Box
August 13, 2011 2:13 am
I have spent hours looking to identify this big guy. I came out the door, saw him & was mesmerized (I love moths & butterflies). He stayed still long enough for me to measure & photograph him. His body length was approx. 3 1/4” long. His wings were partially closed, but I guess up to 5”. Can you help me identify him, please? Thank you for any help you can provide.
Signature: Ginger in NC
Royal Walnut Moth
Hi GInger,
This is a Regal Moth or Royal Walnut Moth. The Caterpillar is called a Hickory Horned Devil.
1
¶ Posted 13 August 2011 § ‡ ° Mothra!
Location: Spring Valley, AR
August 4, 2011 2:00 am
Came across this moth two days ago, landed on me so i snapped a picture.
no idea what kind largest i’ve seen in our area.
Signature: Ty
Luna Moth
Hello Ty,
One of our favorite yearly activities is to mark the advent of spring using Luna Moth sightings across its range. According to BugGuide: “In the United States this species has been found in every state east of the Great Plains” and there is “One brood in the north, May-July. Three broods in the south, March-September.” Each year, our earliest sightings generally come from Texas and Florida, and by June, we are getting reports from Maine and Canada as warm weather hits the northern latitudes. While the spring brood tends to provide us with the most sightings in the south, we also like to indicate later broods, and your letter is the first we have posted of a later southern brood.
2
Please help identify this bug
Location: Allenhurst, New Jersey USA
July 28, 2011 5:50 pm
My sister took a picture of this bug on the screen at her work and it has us all baffled as to what it is. It kinda looks lke a dragon and a spider combined. Any help and/or information would be very much appreciated.
Look forward to hearing back from you.
Michelle
Signature: Michelle
Spotted Apatelodes
Hi Michelle,
The silhouette of the Spotted Apatelodes, Apatelodes torrefacta, is very distinctive. Though it is actually a Silkmoth, it is frequently mistaken for one of the Sphinx Moths. You can find more information on the Spotted Apatelodes on BugGuide.
1
¶ Posted 29 July 2011 § ‡ ° Large moth
Location: Hazyview, Mpumalanga, South Africa
July 25, 2011 10:21 am
Found this moth sitting next to the pool in Hazyview (outside Kruger National Park) in South Africa. Hope you guys can help identifying it.
Kind regards, Jan
Signature: Jan
Pseudobunaea irius
Hi Jan,
We believe we have identified your Giant Silkmoth at Pseudobunaea irius, but we are going to check with Bill Oehlke for verification. Bill may request the use of your photo on his own website as well. Here is a photo from Kirby Wolfe’s website that shows the underwings that are not visible in your image. Your individual is a male, so the points at the apex of the forewings are more hooked. We posted a similar photo in 2008.
Bill Oehlke confirms identification
Daniel,
Yes,
It is Pseudobunaea irius
Bill Oehlke
1
¶ Posted 25 July 2011 § ‡ ° large moth
Location: Martha’sVineyard, MA
July 25, 2011 7:22 am
Hi,
Never saw this big moth around before.
Curious what it might be.
Thanks.
Signature: paperboy
Male Imperial Moth
Dear paperboy,
This stunning creature is a male Imperial Moth. The female has more yellow wings than the male.
¶ Posted 25 July 2011 § ‡ ° Luna Moth
Location: Freeport Maine
July 24, 2011 10:42 am
I discovered a Luna Moth on my barn door. It stayed with us 3 days before a 2nd one appeared. They stayed an additional day and a half for a total of 4 1/2 days for the first and 1 1/2 days for the 2nd. I understand it is very rare to see one, let alone 2 in the same place at the same time. We live in Maine and this is the first time we have ever seen one before.
Signature: Lisa in Maine
Luna Moth
Hi Lisa,
Luna Moths have a relatively extensive range, and each year we get numerous reports. While they have a large range, the population does not seem to be distributed evenly. In areas where conditions are favorable and food plants are available, they can be quite plentiful. Reports indicate that Maine is a location where populations of Luna Moths can be quite dense.
Luna Moths
2
Is this an imperial moth?
Location: Huntingdon, Pennsylvania
July 23, 2011 1:42 am
Hello, this moth has been hanging around my back door this evening. Normally I can easily identify the strange giant moths on my door from pictures you have posted, but I’m not sure about this one. It is a greenish-brown sort of camouflage color. I tried to get as good of pictures as possible, but it was hard to get shots of its underbelly. Thanks!
Signature: Jess
Imperial Moth
Hi Jess,
Your identification of this Imperial Moth is absolutely correct. She is a female. Males have more purple markings on the wings.
1
¶ Posted 23 July 2011 § ‡ ° 
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