what kind of moth is this?
January 25, 2010
on june 28th 2008 i was at my school when i saw a really neat moth. it looked as if it was hurt and as a result it could not fly away, and we took some pictures. it reminds me of a tiger moth or a leopard moth. it has an orange and white body with black dots along its orange back and white side, and white tip rear end, its uper legs are orange whith black and white lower legs. its head is furry and white with slim black anteneas, its upper wings are white with black spots and its lower wings are orange with black spots. the only moths i have seen that are this size are large plain brown ones so i am very curious about this.
Jolena J
northern alberta, canada
Salt Marsh Moth
Hi Jolena,
The reason this Salt Marsh Moth reminds you of a Tiger Moth is that the Salt Marsh Moth is in the Tiger Moth family Arctiidae. The Salt Marsh Moth, Estigmene acrea, is found throughout North America except for Alaska and the Yukon, according to BugGuide.
Salt Marsh Moth
a moth?
January 24, 2010
well i found 2 similar caterpillars about 2 months ago so i took them to my house oh and i took the leafs from the near trees and i err raised them until they became cocoons and well one cocoon went missing while the other one is still in its cocoon and one day there was a moth i think, that was on the cocoon so i wonder is this what came out of the missing one if so why was it on the other’s cocoon…
Victor R
west israel
Green Drab Moth
Hi Victor,
Your moth resembles a Fruit Piercing Moth, Eudocima materna, we have posted in the past. It is definitely a different species, but we wonder if it is related. We hope one of our readers can assist in this identification.
Cocoon: Fruit Piercing Moth
Hi Daniel and Victor:
This is indeed a fruit-piercing moth, probably Ophiusa tirhaca (Noctuidae: Catocalinae). I don’t know if it has a common name in Israel but elsewhere it is referred to as the Green Drab Moth. It has quit a wide distribution, including southern Europe, Africa and Asia, and it has been introduced to Australia. As the name of the group suggests, the adult moths feed by piercing various fruits, especially soft fruits. The larvae feed on the leaves of a variety of trees and shrubs and can be a pest on pistachio trees (including in Israel). Regards.
Karl
what is this bug?
January 19, 2010
this is a florida find. we have no idea what it is other than a moth.
plaes and thank you
florida
Oakworm Moth newly metamorphosed
This is a newly metamorphosed Oakworm Moth in the genus Anisota. The wings have not yet expanded to their full size. Sometimes, this fails to happen and the adult moth will never be capable of flight. BugGuide has a nearly identical photo, and there is also considerable information on the genus posted to BugGuide.
Oakworm Moth
Wasp Mimic Moth from BVI
January 18, 2010
This moth was photographed in the early evening, 6:20 local time on Dec. 22 with a 400 mm telephoto lens.
Donald Gudehus
Necker Island, British Virgin Islands
Spotted Oleander Caterpillar Moth
Hi Donald,
This Spotted Oleander Caterpillar Moth, Empyreuma affinis, is a common Caribbean species that was recently introduced to Florida.
Is this a new creature?
January 17, 2010
From 8/15/09 just before sunset. This is Ocean Beach on Fire Island in New York state. It looks like a bee crossed with a shrimp.
Marc MIllman
Ocean Beach. NY
Snowberry Clearwing Moth
Hi Marc,
It appears as though many folks are spending the winter months trying to get identifications for some of the insects in their summer photographs. This is a Snowberry Clearwing Moth or Bumblebee Moth, Hemaris diffinis, and you may read up on it on Bill Oehlke’s excellent website.
Glover’s Silk Moth?
January 16, 2010
We are in the hills near Temecula and have willows, buckbrush, ceanothus on the property.
Thanks for any additional information.
Matt Stone
Temecula, CA 92592
Ceanothus Silkmoth
Hi Matt,
Your visitor is a Ceanothus Silkmoth, Hyalophora euryalus, a California native that does not feed as an adult, but has a caterpillar that feeds on Ceanothus, or California lilac. According to BugGuide, the larvae also feed on willow, so your property should be a natural habitat for the Ceanothus Silkmoth.
Ceanothus Silkmoth
January 15, 2009
Thanks! You identified a Spotted Apatelodes Moth for me. No description or photo would fit it. I kept saying that it looked like bark. I may have seen a butterfly the other day that resembled it, but this morning was cool, and it was tired. I was able to pick it up, and was able to get a close look at it. Still looks like bark, but I noticed the feather antennae, and the curved abdomen. This evening I found your site. So I am very excited. You will look long and hard for an image of it, because… it looks like bark. I put it onto an arbor vitae, so maybe I’ll be able to get a photo tomorrow, if it is still there. Peace!
kathy
Spotted Apatelodes
Hi Kathy,
We are thrilled that you have used our website to identify your Spotted Apatelodes. We are including a photo submitted previously to post with your letter. We haven’t received any recent images of this unusual moth and we hope you are able to locate and photograph the individual you saw.
Moth like wings spiny red legs
January 14, 2010
Hi,
Found this bug on the outside of our house. It is about the size of the palm of your hand and has wings that look like a moth’s, but spiny crab-like legs. It didn’t move from the same spot for 3 days, and just today was gone. Any ideas? Thanks!
Not a big bug fan
San Diego, CA
Ceanothus Silkmoth
Dear Not a big bug fan,
Interestingly, your friend L sent us this exact photo yesterday, but it was a lower resolution and we were lamenting to ourselves that the resolution was so poor. L will probably be disappointed to find out you already know the answer. We didn’t tell L the scientific name is Hyalophora euryalus, or that the natural range is from Baja to Canada along the westernmost portion of North America. Here is what we wrote back to L a few minutes ago.
This is a Ceanothus Silkmoth. With more Southern California Landscaping being mindful of drought tolerant plants, especially native vegetation, we expect to be getting more reports of sightings of Ceanothus Silkmoths each year. Your letter does not indicate if your friend lives near any natural open space, as this native moth, which does not feed as an adult and only lives for a few days, long enough to mate. The Ceanothus Silkmoth develops from a large caterpillar that feed on the leaves of ceanothus, a plant sometimes marketed as California lilac. BugGuide reports California sightings from March through August, so this January appearance is uncharacteristically early, but it may also be a result of our unseasonal rains this past October.
Thank you! You solved the mystery, you guys sure know your bugs 
. Very interesting looking moth.
What is this insect?
January 13, 2010
This bug (moth?) has been on the side of my friends house for a few days. She lives in San Diego County. It’s January.
She says the legs are crab like and it is about the size of her hand.
L
San Diego, California
Ceanothus Silkmoth
Dear L,
This is a Ceanothus Silkmoth. With more Southern California Landscaping being mindful of drought tolerant plants, especially native vegetation, we expect to be getting more reports of sightings of Ceanothus Silkmoths each year. Your letter does not indicate if your friend lives near any natural open space, as this native moth, which does not feed as an adult and only lives for a few days, long enough to mate. The Ceanothus Silkmoth develops from a large caterpillar that feed on the leaves of ceanothus, a plant sometimes marketed as California lilac. BugGuide reports California sightings from March through August, so this January appearance is uncharacteristically early, but it may also be a result of our unseasonal rains this past October.
Deaths head moth in Centurion, South Africa
January 13, 2010
Hi Bugman
My 14yr old son has found this huge moth
on the front wall of our house, he has now stayed in the same spot since the 11th of Jan and today is the 13th, without moving an inch!!! Comparing pics on the internet this looks like the deaths head moth, but which one?Is he dying, is there anything we can do?When I got close with the camera, it made a loud squeeking noise and squirted a brown liquid from its tail end (yuk!!)
Andrew and James Foxley
Centurion ( Pretoria) South Africa
Death's Head Hawkmoth
Dear Andrew and James,
We are thrilled to get your photograph of a Death’s Head Hawkmoth, Acherontia atropos, the species found in South Africa. We frequently receive photos of the caterpillars, but submissions of the imago are not as common to our site. The squeaking is a well documented defense mechanism. Often, Sphinx Moths are attracted to lights and rest several days before beginning to fly again.
crucifix window bug
January 9, 2010
Hi Bugman, Today we found this interesting looking creature parked on our window, in San Rafael, CA. It seems as if it has horns on the end of its ‘wings’. My friend calls it a ‘blood sucking satan fly’ but I don’t think such a thing exist. Another friend thought it was a reincarnation of Jesus on the crucifix. Sorry for the bad photograph, I was afraid to get closer / it biting me.
thanks in advance, jasmine
san rafael, ca, usa
Morning Glory Plume Moth
Hi Jasmine,
This is a Morning Glory Plume Moth, Emmelina monodactyla, and despite your friends’ theories, it is neither a maleficent nor a divinely benevolent species. It will not suck your blood, nor is it representative of a miraculous event. Many people call it a T Bug or T Moth. It is a European species that was introduced to North America and it has spread from coast to coast. The UK Moths website has some good information, including: “One of the commonest of the ‘Plume’ moths all over Britain, and one of the few to be found in the early part of the year, as the adults occur in all months. Like most of the Pterophoridae, the wings are cleft or divided, but this can be difficult to see, as the moth often rests with the wings rolled up tightly. The wing colour is usually pale brownish, but can be darker. Each pair of spurs on the hind legs has one spur longer than the other. The abdomen has a pale buff dorsal longitudinal band with brown streaks along the midline. It occurs in any suitable habitat where the larval foodplants, bindweeds (Convolvulus and Calystegia spp.), occur. Larvae have also been reported occasionally on Morning glory (Ipomoea), Chenopodium spp. and Atriplex spp. They feed in two overlapping generations on leaves and flowers from late May to September.“
Wow, this is AMAZING!!
thank you so much for clearing up the mystery!
4 legged stick bug about 5mm long
January 4, 2010
I found this little guy on my kitchen wall, January 4, 2010. There’s about 15 cm of snow on the ground outside, temperature is about -1C. I’ve seen this kind of bug before both inside & outside. Any idea what it is?
Jan, Nova Scotia, Canada
2 km from Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia
Unknown Moth
Dear Jan,
Moths that are this tiny are called Microlepidoptera, and we must confess that the proper identification of species of Microlepidoptera is well beyond our means. Perhaps one of our readers will be able to supply an answer.
Unknown Moth
Your response is greatly appreciated. I had no idea it is a moth!
Thanks,
Jan
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