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sable moths
Hello bug people,
Thought you might enjoy this photo of what I think are White Spotted Sables, Anania funebris. They were on my deck in upstate New York in early June. My five-year-old son and I thought they were very handsome, although we had different theories about what they might be doing.
Kathie & Cole
Hi Kathie and Cole,
Cole is correct. The White Spotted Sable Moths are mating. Kathie, we are not sure what you thought they were doing.
cecropia and others
Hi! A couple of years ago I sent you pictures of my Cecropia project — I raised a bunch of caterpillars and was rewarded with beautiful moths the next spring. Last year I was fortunate enough to get more caterpillars, and I wanted to share some images of the moths. Very serendipitously, as you’ve made them your bug of the month for July. For your bug love page, here’s images of Red Milkweed Beetles (Tetraopes tetraophthalmus) and Scarlet and Green Leafhoppers (Graphocephala coccinea) — one with the two leafhoppers getting advice from the beetle! I’ve included a pic of a Nessus Sphinx (Amphion floridensis) that I took last year in my back yard. According to the folks at Butterflies and Moths of North America ( http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org ) it’s a first report from MN, so that’s pretty exciting. I know it’s not a great pic but I thought you might like to see it 
Lastly is a pic of what I think is Labidomera clivicollis, Swamp Milkweed Leaf Beetle. What do you think? Thanks as always for a great site
henry
hi Henry,
While we applaud your enthusiasm and are impressed with the volume if imagery you sent our way, we have to limit our postings. We are thrilled to post your mating Candystriped Leafhoppers and a cropped version of the three Cecropia Moths on your window screen, awaiting an opportunity to venture into the night.
zoomed in pic of moth
Hi bugman,
I wrote a week ago asking what kind of moth this was. I was looking at the pic I emailed in and noticed I couldn’t zoom in very much before it got blurry. So I cropped the original (I was too lazy to get my hard drive out and get the original the first time.) So here is a better zoom in of it. Like I said before we found it in our front yard on a rose bush, and we live in Turkey, close to Adana. I thought it was such a beautiful moth. Thanks,
Steph
Hi Steph,
Thanks for resending your photo of an Oleander Hawk Moth, Deilephila nerii or Daphnis nerii. This truly beautiful moth has an extensive range due to the use of its larval food plant, the Oleander, in landscaping. Bill Oehlke has the following information posted to his awesome website: “primarily associated with ‘the southern Mediterranean region, North Africa and the Middle East to Afghanistan (Ebert, 1969). Along the Mediterranean, there is no clear distinction between resident and migrant populations. Permanent populations exist in suitable locations in Sicily, Crete and Cyprus; however, over a number of favourable years further colonies may be established in those islands and also in southern Italy and southern Greece, all of which die out during a hard winter.’ and ‘Extra-limital range. From Afghanistan eastward to south-east Asia and the Philippines; as a migrant, it penetrates northwards into central Europe and central southern Asia. In 1974, this species was recorded as having established itself in Hawaii (Beardsley, 1979).’ “
Bug Love
Can you tell my what kind of moth this is? Thanks From Lenox Michigan
Donna
Hi Donna,
What a beautiful image of mating Cecropia Moths. It is coming our way at the perfect time to designate it as the Bug of the Month for July 2008. We have received numerous images of Cecropia Moths this year, but none as lovely as yours. Cecropia Moths are Giant Silk Moths and they do not eat as adults. Their sole task is to mate and reproduce.
moth picture
I listen to a radio show late at night and one of the listeners sent these pics of a moth they saw in their back yard. She said she calls it her "dragon moth"… and in all fairness it DOES kind of resemble one! They live in Shenendoah Valley, VA. I see a couple of moths that look similar… but am unsure… is this a type of Sphinx moth?
As much as we like and would endorse the name Dragon Moth for the Spotted Apatelodes, we are in no position to apply for a name change. Spotted Apatelodes isn’t quite as descriptive as Dragon Moth. Though it resembles a Sphinx Moth, the Spotted Apatelodes, Apatelodes torrefacta, is actually one of the Silkworm Moths in the family Bombycidae.
i can not figure out what this is. I believe its some kind of wasp moth?? It is not in any of my field guides. I ask you to help me out and let me know what it is if you can. Email me back.
Nate
Hi Nate,
Field Guides, like other research tools, are only effective if used properly. You would not be able to properly identify your Peach Tree Borer if you lived in Georgia and used a field guide to the moths and butterflies of Russia. You cannot properly use What’s That Bug? unless you provide information, yet you neglected to give us a location. Luckily, your female Peach Tree Borer is a very distinctive insect and it was easy enough for us to identify. It is one of the Sesiid Clearwing Wasp Moths. The species is quite unusual for its pronounced sexual dimorphism. The much smaller blue male moth looks like an entirely different species. According to BugGuide, the range includes eastern and central North America.
What’s this red & grey moth(?)?
Hello–
Please, what is this lovely creature? You are seeing the forewings, almost clasped around the grassblade. The hindwing is rounded and the same brilliant red. It moves quickly and does not like being approached. I live on the northeast coast of Nova Scotia, among wet-to-damp grasslands on the shoreline of Antigonish Harbour. This creature avoids flowers and always lights on grass. It is small (not tiny). Especially, this creature is uncommon. Two years ago I saw a few near some alfalfa. Last year I saw one only, in grass under alders right on the water. This year I’ve also seen only one, among the grasses and mixed wildflowers (which it ignores) over our septic drainage field, in the open. They stay close to one spot; you can find presumably the same one there day after day in early summer. I’d love to hear from you– Thanks–
Tila Kellman
Hi Tila,
Your moth is a Cinnabar Moth, Tyria jacobaeae. It was introduced from Europe to help control ragweed, a larval food plant.
Bug Love picture from Georgia
I snapped a couple of pics of two moths mating yesterday. I really like this one: underneath this one isn’t as dynamic: topside I included links to the flickr photostream too. They look like Cerisy Sphinxes from what I saw on your site. Feel free to use this pictures if you’d like. Thanks for running a great site,
Casey Willis
Hi Casey,
Bill Oehlke’s website doesn’t list Cerisy’s Sphinx in Georgia. These are Blinded Sphinxes, Paonias excaecata. You can also read about the Blinded Sphinx on Bill Oehlke’s website.
Imperial moth, caterpillar, and pupae pics
I could not find this big girl on the site about 9 months ago, so I took her in and helped her complete her lifecycle. I figured these would be good pics for the website. She came out beautiful and full of eggs. The cercaria label was my old hunch….guess i was wrong….HA
Dr. Coleman
Hi Dr. Coleman,
We are thrilled to have gotten your Imperial Moth Metamorphosis series. We have numerous photos of Imperial Moth Caterpillars on our site, and we also have numerous adult moth images, filed on our Saturnid Moth pages of Giant Silk Moths. Your submission neatly places most of the life cycle in one concise letter. Thanks again.
Hello! I am hoping you can help me identify this pretty moth. We are in the South Central mountains of Idaho, on a small prairie a mile high.
Thank you!
Tracy Stampke
Hi Tracy,
Your moth is a Columbia Silk Moth, Hyalophora columbia. BugGuide lists sightings in most parts of the U.S. excluding the south. It has several relatives in the same genus. The Ceanothus Silk Moth is found along the Pacific states, and the Cecropia moth if found throughout the east.
what is this bug?
I was thinking that this was a moth but it closes its wings. So does it mean that it is a butterfly? Thanks for any help.
This is a Rosy Maple Moth. The wing position is actually typical of moths. It is a generalization, but most butterflies fold their wings together over their backs when resting, while moths rest with wings spread apart. There are many exceptions to this generalization.
Moth or Butterfly in WI
Hi: This beautiful creature was drying it’s wings (or so I’m guessing) by hanging upside down on our garage door trim this morning. It’s beautiful. I’m unable to find it in my field guide — I’m thinking that it is probably a moth instead of a butterfly because it has such a plump, furry body. I’ve attached several pics that I took this morning. Just would really like to know what it is. Any help you can provide in identifying this beautiful creature would be most appreciated. Thanks!
Ann in WI
Hi Ann,
This is a Cecropia Moth. We have identified so many specimens in the past week, we think it is time to post another photo, and yours is just perfect.
