what type of moth is this
Location: Noordhoek Cape Town
September 28, 2011 1:14 pm
i saw this moth during the day , and again the next morning in the same spot. Very sunny and warm day.
Signature: RocketGirl12
Equine Maiden
Dear RocketGirl12,
We suspect this may take more time to research than we have this morning, so we are posting your photo as an unidentified moth and we hope our readership will come to our assistance today, our longest and busiest work day of the week.
Karl provides an identification
Unknown Moth from Cape Town
Hi Daniel and RocketGirl12:
Your moth is in the genus Thyretes, probably T. hippotes. It belongs to the Superfamily Noctuoidea and is variously assigned to the Family Thyretidae, Arctiidae, Erebidae or Notodontidae. This sort of taxonomic confusion is not uncommon (particularly online). Arctiidae appears to be the most common but I couldn’t determine if there is a current consensus. It is another one of those African Maiden Moths (Ctenuchinae), specifically the Equine Maiden. Regards. Karl
Thanks Karl. As always, your research is greatly appreciated.
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¶ Posted 29 September 2011 § ‡ ° big moth
Location: San Pedro California
September 28, 2011 9:23 pm
This big moth, or whatever it is was found in the eaves om my neighbors house. I would guess it’s about 6 inches wing tip to wing tip.
Signature: Delbert Crawford
Black Witch
Hi Delbert,
Your moth is a Black Witch, a common species in Mexico and Central America. As early as the late 19th Century, there were reports of Black Witches making northern migrations in the fall, and they are sometimes found as far north as Canada. In recent years, Black Witches have naturalized in the states closest to the Mexican border. Perhaps global warming is contributing to the northern range expansion. The white diagonal bars on the wings indicates that your specimen is a female Black Witch.
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Underwing Moth resting on mossy bark
Location: SE Michigan
September 24, 2011 6:52 pm
Hello, Bugman: Spotted this large underwing moth flying around eratically during the afternoon; was surprised both by it’s size and that it was flying during a sunny afternoon. Not sure which of the many kinds of Underwings this one is, but it was about 2.5 inches across. It landed on a tree, hoping to ”blend-in” with it’s cryptic patterning. I was able to get 2 nice close-ups, before it fluttered away. Thought you might like to add this shot to your Underwing info.
Signature: Chris O.
Underwing
Hi Chris,
Thanks so much for sending your photo of an Underwing Moth. We posted another photo earlier today and we wrote about the camouflage ability of the Underwing Moths. Though your mossy trunk does not effectively hide this individual, our readers should be able to imagine it blending in on a lighter barked tree. While we don’t believe the Underwing has the ability to choose a tree that will effectively hide it, we do believe that those moths that blend into the trees in a specific area will survive and then subsequently pass on the traits that determine their coloration to their offspring. Your description of the Underwing flying during daylight hours is very accurate.
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Two differnt butterflies
Location: eastern, canada
September 24, 2011 8:26 am
There is two different type of butterflies and I don’t know what is type is.
Signature: M.o
Underwing
Dear M.o,
You have mistaken an Underwing Moth in the genus Catocala for a butterfly. Underwing Moths usually have forewings that are patterned like tree bark. When the Underwing Moth rests on the trunk of a tree, it is perfectly camouflaged, and when it flies, its brightly colored underwings present a flashy appearance. A predator will be fooled once a flying moth comes to rest hiding the brightly colored underwings. Your other butterfly is a Red Admiral.
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Achemon Sphinx Moth
Location: Cheney Kansas
September 21, 2011 9:03 pm
I decided to raise these five caterpillars that were feeding on my grapevines…So I purchased a cheap aquarium and collected the Cats from the vine.
I then fed them new grapevine leaves each day for about a week…They one by one burrowed underground..about 6 to 8 days later they finaly pupated.
This is the results of my 2 week experiment with these catepillars.
Signature: Chris Harris
Achemon Sphinx Caterpillar
Hi Chris,
We are positively thrilled to post your photos documenting the metamorphosis of the Achemon Sphinx. Your project should inspire our readers to attempt a similar endeavor in order to learn more about the creatures around us.
Pupae of the Achemon Sphinx
Your photos are quite nice, and we especially like the image of the caterpillar of the Achemon Sphinx.
Achemon Sphinx
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Wasp or What?
Location: Port Charlotte Florida
September 21, 2011 7:01 pm
Saw this guy flying inside my Caged Swimming Pool Area. Photo’s show it to be blue with White Spots… My Eyes Say it was Black with White Spots. But there is no doubt that it’s rear end was as read as seen. Size from Wing tip to wing tip would be about the diameter of a Quarter!
Signature: Steve Worden
Polka-Dot Wasp Moth
Hi Steve,
The “or What?” would be a Polka-Dot Wasp Moth, and as its name implies, it is a moth that mimics a wasp. The orange caterpillars feed on the leaves of poisonous oleander.
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bird poop moth
September 10, 2011 11:50 pm
you had a posting about a moth commonly mistaken for bird poop, and i cant seem to find it anymore, i was hoping to get the name of them, i just found a picture on a freinds facebok page and she saw what she thought was bird poop, until it startedd flapping wings. hoping to let her know what it REALLY is, but cant remember enough of the post to find it myself. THANKS IF YOU CAN HELP ME
Signature: elizabeth anderson
Hi Elizabeth,
We typed “bird poop moth” into our search engine and were lead directly here, to the Pearly Wood Nymph.
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whazzit?
Location: Virginia
September 9, 2011 7:07 pm
We have not been able to identify this flying insect. It was on our butterfly bush, along with some bumblebees. The season is late summer and we live in Virginia, on the east coast, near the Chesapeake Bay.
The proboscis and the ”furry feet” are most intriguing!
The wings move so quickly that it was difficult to focus. Thank goodness, we don’t know if it is a stinging bug.
Thanks for any information.
Signature: Sallye & Robert
Snowberry Clearwing Moth
Hi Sallye & Robert,
There are three species of diurnal Sphinx Moths in the genus Hemaris that are found in Virginia, and we believe you have photographed the Bumblebee Moth or Snowberry Clearwing Moth, Hemaris diffinis, based on this description from the Sphingidae of the Americas website: “Hemaris diffinis is a very variable species, but almost always the abdomen sports contrasting black and yellow hairs, the ventral surface being quite black. The legs also tend to be quite dark and there is a black mask running across the eye and along the sides of the thorax.”
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