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Category Archives: Giant Silk Moths   rss

Male Prometheus Moth

Male Promethea Moth
Location: S. Illinois
May 4, 2011 3:13 pm
My Promethea cocoon hatched out today. Unfortunately for my moth-herding ambitions, this one is a male.
He was released in the back yard, and is currently trying very hard to look like a dead leaf on a pine tree.
Signature: Bert

promethea bert 300x247 Male Prometheus Moth

Male Prometheus Moth

Hi Bert,
Though the coloration of the Prometheus Moth is quite somber, the markings are nuanced and quite beautiful.  The Prometheus Moth is a beautiful species.  We do not receive as many images of the Prometheus Moth as we do of other Giant Silk Moths, and we are very thankful though were thoughtful enough to provide your gorgeous photographs for our archive.

promethea bert 21 300x254 Male Prometheus Moth

Male Prometheus Moth

Posted 04 May 2011 § ‡ Comments (0) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Luna Moth from Oklahoma

Mothra??
Location: Oklahoma
April 30, 2011 8:31 pm
This GINORMOUS moth is sitting on the edge of our house! Do you know what kind it is?
Signature: Elizabeth

luna moth elizabeth 292x300 Luna Moth from Oklahoma

Luna Moth

Hi Elizabeth,
At the end of February, we received our first report this season of a Luna Moth sighting, and the letter indicated there was a swarm in Texas.  That prompted us to name the Luna Moth the Bug of the Month for March.  Other reports followed from the southern most portion of the range of the Luna Moth.  As the weather warms in the northern climes, Luna Moth sightings will begin to come to us, generally culminating in reports from Maine and Canada in May and June.  Sightings from later in the season will then come from the southern portion of the range as there are two broods in the South.  It is highly unlikely that the Luna Moth would be confused with any other North American species.

Posted 01 May 2011 § Luna Moth - Rare Specimen ‡ Comments (0) °

Fanmail

Absence of additional photos
April 28, 2011 11:37 pm
Heh. Having been succinCt, descriptive, and specific in the subject, what’s left?
Oh yes, details. icon smile Fanmail
I note that many posts state that there are additional photos (the Polyphemus moth is the one I saw, where it has a newly-emerged moth and states that they have one four hours on–but there’s only the one photo)…but when you go to the post itself, there’s no additional photos.
I know you’re short on time and space–we all are–but puh-leeze, can we please have a few more eentsy little photos? icon smile Fanmail
You guys ROCK!!! bigtime at this; I keep telling teachers and kids and parents to come on over, it’s fun.  And even the grossed-out and/or phobic ones wind up here eventually, and LOVE it! icon smile Fanmail
Repeat: You ROCK. icon smile Fanmail   Totally. icon smile Fanmail
Now…what bugs in Butte County, CA, do you want/need photos of? icon smile Fanmail   I’ve not the money to donate but I can sure get pictures and do some ID work..!!
Hugs,
PA
Signature: Pam Alley

polyphemus bert1 300x175 Fanmail

Polyphemus Moth

Hi Pam,
Thanks for your kind email.  When photos are submitted, we generally choose the most representative or our favorite to post.  When there are several images, we often post two or rarely three.  We did a search for Polyphemus Moth using our search engine, and we believe we found the posting that you are referring to and there are two images.  Additionally, similar postings are available by clicking the small thumbnails under the posting.  We would love to post some of your photos, and we especially like seasonal sightings and species that are not well represented on our site.  Right now we hope to get a variety of different Blister Beetles from the southwest.  We are posting the image you were unable to locate as an accompaniment to this posting

Ah ha…must click on first photo to see all photos!  Silly me. icon smile Fanmail
Comment on chickens–hit the BackyardChickens website for best husbandry/health/housing information.  You aren’t the only one who has lost feathered friends unexpectedly, nor had trouble getting started.
Consider yourself hugged…that’s not fun. icon sad Fanmail   But that website will help you get restarted…
I do have a couple of bugs you might be intrigued by; one was a ‘wingless bee’ found under my rabbit cages…which amazingly, by the end of its photo session, had wings (laughing)–think it was a bee mimic of some kind.  The other was a seemingly voracious black and white striped bug that was encouraged to go forth and eat LOTS of earwigs.
BTW…I got into chickens as earwig control, and now I have more than I know what to do with…LOL…so watch out!  They’re addictive (or at least additive!
There are a number of show breeders of various kinds of chickens in your part of the world–highly recommend the Belgian d’Anvers breed–sociable, personality plus, and hardy as heck.  A bantam breed. You might consider getting some adults to start with–they lay very well and brood excellently too.
Recommend you put a nice chain-link kennel around your chicken coop area to keep skunks/raccoons out–raccoons especially, as they can carry nasty parasites and are incredibly strong given the smallest opening.  Try Craigslist for one that’s affordable.
Anyway, you’re welcome to my photo collection, should you want it…here are two exemplars and enjoy! icon smile Fanmail
If there’s anything I can do to help you folks, I have no life, so let me know. icon smile Fanmail
PA

Dear PA,
whoaaaahhh
There is no way all these can be posted.  This will probably take an hour to format.  We can post your letter and one species.  In the future, please use the identification form which helps the formatting of our website.  It is found here:  http://www.whatsthatbug.com/ask-whats-that-bug/
Thanks for your enthusiasm.
P.S.  Just yesterday, over 50 identification requests arrived

2

Posted 29 April 2011 § Fuzzy Bottom Gals ‡ Comments (1) ° Tagged:
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Metamorphosis of a Polyphemus Moth

Polyphemus inflates his wings
Location: S. Illinois
April 7, 2011 7:55 pm
Found this Polyphemus as a cocoon in a tree nursery last fall. He hatched out this afternoon, here he is at emergence plus 5 minutes, and plus 4 hours.
We’ll release him in the woods tomorrow at dusk.
Signature: Bert

polyphemus emergent bert 300x289 Metamorphosis of a Polyphemus Moth

Polyphemus Moth newly metamorphosed

Hi Bert,
Thanks so much for sending in your photos of a newly emergent Polyphemus Moth.

polyphemus bert 300x175 Metamorphosis of a Polyphemus Moth

Polyphemus Moth

Posted 08 April 2011 § ‡ Comments (1) °

Cecropia Moth lays eggs on Bicycle Tire!!!

Butterfly or Moth
Location: Pensacola, FL
April 4, 2011 11:40 am
My fiance and I were getting ready to go on a bike ride last weekend and we came across this. Can you tell me if this is a butterfy or a moth? It appears to be laying eggs on my fiance’s bicycle tire.
Thanks!
Signature: E

cecropia eggs bicycle 300x204 Cecropia Moth lays eggs on Bicycle Tire!!!

Cecropia Moth laying eggs

Dear E,
This beauty is the largest Silkmoth in North America, the Cecropia Moth.  We would love to know that the Eggs survived, and we hope your fiance does not need to ride before the eggs hatch.  We expect that hatching should occur within a week.  According to BugGuide: “Larvae feed on leaves of various trees and shrubs including alder, apple, ash, beech, birch, box-elder, cherry, dogwood, elm, gooseberry, maple, plum, poplar, white oak, willow. may also feed on lilac and tamarack” which means you shouldn’t have too much difficulty relocating the tiny caterpillars to a food source once they hatch.

Thank you!! We cancelled our bike ride for the sake of the moth and the eggs. We haven’t been out bike riding since. I’ll have to check and see if the eggs are still there. I appreciate you writing back.
Erin R. Hall

5

Posted 04 April 2011 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Luna Moth in Florida

Luna moth in Florida
Location: Gainesville, FL
March 23, 2011 3:32 pm
This morning before work, I noticed a luna moth on my neighbor’s window. I was in a rush, so I wasn’t able to go get a camera.
I was pleased to find that it was still there when I got home! I’m pretty sure this area is within their natural range (Gainesville, FL) but I don’t remember ever seeing one around here before.
Since I’m almost certain this is a luna moth, there’s no need to identify it, but hopefully the pictures are nice enough to keep!
Signature: L. Z.

luna lz 300x270 Luna Moth in Florida

Luna Moth

Dear L.Z.,
The Luna Moth most certainly ranges in Florida, though this is the first Floridian example we have received this year.

Posted 23 March 2011 § Luna Moth - Rare Specimen ‡ Comments (1) °

Luna Moth

Luna Moth in SC
Location: Lexington, SC
March 20, 2011 9:51 am
I saw this beautiful moth on a sidewalk while shopping on March 19. I took a photo and identified it on the Internet the next day. Imagine my surprise! It appears to be a male Luna Moth, seen here on a sidewalk in Lexington, SC (central SC, near the capital of Columbia). I wish I had ”rescued” it, although I don’t know what I would have done, except perhaps bring it to the woods right behind my house. I’m horrified to know that I left it there to probably be trampled.
Signature: Sad in SC

luna south carolina 300x270 Luna Moth

Luna Moth

Hi Sad in SC,
If it is any consolation, Luna Moths only live a few days as adults and they do not feed.  Adults mate, the female lays eggs, and both quickly die.  Luna Moths have many predators, and part of their function in the intricate and confusing web of life is to provide food to other creatures.  We would like to think that this beauty lived to mate since he is such a handsome specimen.  Your letter represents the first report we have received this year of a Luna Moth other than from Texas.  As spring nears, sightings will move north, and by May we should be hearing from readers in Maine and Canada.

Posted 20 March 2011 § Luna Moth - Rare Specimen ‡ Comments (0) °

Luna Moth

Luna Moth
Location:  Texas
March 9, 2011
Hi Daniel!
We found another Luna Moth just now.  I am curious how many of these moths are in the SE TX area.  Enjoy the pic!
Amanda

luna amanda 2 300x282 Luna Moth

Luna Moth

Hi Amanda,
We do not believe there are any Luna Moth census studies that can provide you with population numbers.  Thusfar this year, our only reports of Luna Moths have been from Texas.  Perhaps conditions were right this year for a surge in numbers.

Posted 10 March 2011 § Luna Moth - Rare Specimen ‡ Comments (0) °

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