moth ID
Hi again. Now you’ve really got my attention! Here is a moth I found in Austin. It was about the size of a quarter and got very uppity with us when we were trying to take its picture…it started oozing a green liquid from the dots on its back. Ive got a pic of that too…but not a very good one. The second pic is of an imperial moth (Im assuming), just thought you might enjoy it.
Jeffery
Hi Jeffery,
This is a Giant Leopard Moth, Ecpantheria scribonia. It is one of the Tiger Moths in the Family Arctiidae.
¶ Posted 05 November 2005 § ‡ ° What is it?
This morning we found this under the car. He is the most beautiful thing I have seen. He looked like velvet and his "eyes" were so beautiful. We are in Haines City, FL which is dead center of the state. Do you have any idea what he is? I stumbled across your site while I was trying to identify this guy.
Thank You,
Diana
Hi Diana,
The Polyphemus Moth is one of the Giant Silkworm Moths also known as Saturnid Moths.
moth
Found this little guy on my garage door last spring or summer. He stayed in one spot for several days. I wrote to a couple of Michigan Universities in the proper departments but they will not answer my emails. Can you identify this little guy? He was only about 5/8 inch long. I live 45 miles north of Saginaw Michigan.
Hi There,
We believe this is a White Spotted Sable, Anania funebris. The reason we are not positive is the absence of a small white spot on the upper wings. It could be the poor quality of your image, or this might be a variation or a closely related species.
¶ Posted 30 October 2005 § ‡ ° Hawk Moth?
I saw your sight and was wondering if the attached picture is a hawk moth. I took it on the North Carolina coast in September.
Thanks
Sid Cullingham
Hi Sid,
Nice photo of a Pink Spotted Hawkmoth.
Can you ID this one ?
Hi
I found this moth in Fairfield Glade, Tennessee, can’t seem to find a match documented so far, can you help?
Thanks
Steve
Hi Steve,
This is a Royal Walnut Moth also known as a Regal Moth. Its caterpillar is the fierce looking Hickory Horned Devil.
Unidentified butterfly or moth
I was photographing butterflies in August here in eastern Nebraska and ran across this little fellow. I can’t seem to identify it from my butterfly reference books, so perhaps it is a moth. As you will note from the photo, it appears to gather pollen on it’s legs, like a bumblebee. Can you tell me what it is? Thanks!
Doug Wulf
Hi Doug,
The pretty little Eight Spotted Forester, Alypia octomaculata, is a day flying moth that is often mistaken for a butterfly. That is not pollen on the legs, but brilliant orange hairlike scales. Caterpillars feed on Virginia Creepers, grape and Boston ivy.
Tussock Moth Caterpillars?
While in Maine this August, I snapped some nice photos of what I think are various kinds of tussock moth caterpillars; am I right? Oh, and your site is basically Nirvana.
Johanne
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| Definite-marked Tussock Moth | Banded Tussock Moth |
Hi Again Johanne,
Sorry for the delay, but our internet access was down for a week and mail really piled up. We agree that two of you caterpillars are known as Tussock Moths. The third is possibly, but we are unable to be more conclusive due to the camera angle. The two that are Tussock Moths are from different genuses, however. We believe one to be the Definite-marked Tussock Moth, Orgyia definita. Family Lymantriidae. This Family is known as the Tussock Moth Family. The other is probably the Banded Tussock Moth also known as the Pale Tussock Moth, Halysidota tessellaris, which is in the Family Arctiidae, the Tiger Moths.
two moth photos
Your site is wonderful! I’m a big insect person, and I’ve often needed help identifying insects, especially moths and butterflies. The photos people submit are lovely! I know you’ve already got both of these on your site already (Clymene moth – Haploa clymene, and Polyphemus moth – > Antheraea polyphemus), but I thought perhaps you might like them anyhow. Please keep up the great work! (Both of these were taken at my house in Tallassee, AL. In the clymene photo, you can see my cat Gizmo eyeing the moth
Kristina Pendergrass
Auburn University, AL
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| Clymene Moth | Polyphemus Moth |
Hi Kristina,
So sorry for the long delay. We are posting both of your photos on our moth 2 page. The Polyphemus image is one of the nicest we have ever received. It seems funny seeing them side by side as the scale is so different, but they appear almost equal in size.
¶ Posted 25 October 2005 § ‡ ° 
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