Subject: Fuzzy looking bug
Location: central-south Mexico – Tabasco/Campeche
February 4, 2013 2:49 pm
Found this bug in December while road-triping through Mexico. Stopped at a gas station and there it was, lying on the side of the building.
Hope you can help.
Signature: Kelly

Flannel Moth

Hi Kelly,
Based on similar looking moths on BugGuide, we believe this is a Flannel Moth in the family Megalopygidae, but we have not had any luck matching an exact photo.  Perhaps it is in the genus Megalopyge , and it looks somewhat similar to this image of Megalopyge bissesa from The Moth Photographers Group, but again, it does not appear to be an exact match.  The Hétérocères de Guyane Française Megalopygidae page has numerous mounted specimens, but none that we can say conclusively looks like your individual.  Perhaps one of our readers will be able to provide assistance.

Karl agrees with Flannel Moth ID.
Hi Daniel. Based on overall appearance, posture and visible wing venation I would have to agree that it is probably a Flannel Moth (Megalopygidae). I think it is probably in the genus Thoscora, a neotropical genus with seven or eight species. Unfortunately, online information is extremely sparse for all the species and I can’t come up with a conclusive identification. It looks very close to Thoscora acca, but I couldn’t find any information that this species occurs north of Costa Rica. However, this may just be due to a lack of information. The Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) site shows an assortment of mounted T. acca, and the Hétérocères de Guyane Française Megalopygidae page that you linked to has several subspecies of T. acca (other sites regard these as distinct species) as well as two other species. Mounted specimens offer some clear advantages for identification as all features are revealed.  However, I find that other information such as natural posture is lost, which sometimes makes it difficult to recognize a species when it is compared to a photo of a live specimen.  My best guess would be that it is Thoscora acca. Regards.  Karl

We like your identification Karl.  Has anyone told you that you are awesome lately?

Wow! Thanks so much for replying so quickly! I thought the little guy must have been some sort of moth, but wasn’t exactly sure.  The camera-phone pic doesn’t do it justice, and I was eager to find its identity so I could properly depict it in some of my artwork.
Thanks again!

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Subject: Curious About this Moth
Location: Coram, New York
July 10, 2012 11:00 pm
I saw this moth outside of my home when I was leaving for work in the AM one day and it just hung around all day until I returned. I got curious because I never seen this kind of moth before with such beautiful design and color. Can you tell me a little about this little guy? Thank You!
Signature: Storm Morales

Skiff Moth

Dear Storm,
While we don’t recognize this moth, we agree that it is quite lovely, and with National Moth Week fast approaching, we are trying to post as many interesting moth photos as possible.  Alas, we are beginning to get computer fatigue, so we are posting your photo as unidentified in the hopes that one of our readers can assist with the identification.  Karl, are you there????

Update:  Thanks to CTGirl who sent in a comment, we can report that this is a Skiff Moth, one of the Slug Caterpillar Moths which we verified on BugGuide.

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Furry brown and green moth
Location:  Sartell, MN
September 30, 2010 11:24 am
Hello!
I found this little moth on my mom’s front porch this June and I was really curious as to what it was. It was so furry it reminded me of a tiny dog or a bear. I looked around on google a bit and it looks similar to the Stinging rose caterpillar moth, except with much less green.
If you know what this moth might be any info would be appreciated! Thanks!
Signature:  Jessica F.

Spiny Oak Slug Moth

Hi Jessica,
Congratulations on getting the family correct for your Spiny Oak Slug Moth, Euclea delphinii, a highly variable species that is pictured on BugGuide demonstrating the varying amount of green that can be present.  The Spiny Oak Slug Moth is pictured along side the Stinging Rose Caterpillar Moth on the Moth Photographers Group website.

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Leaf Looking Bug or Moth
June 10, 2010
I saw this bug on the outside of my nephew’s house in Kearney, Missouri. I’ve looked in books and online but can’t figure it out. Is it a moth? A leafhopper?
Georgia
Kearney, Missouri

Spiny Oak Slug Moth

Hi Georgia,
We believe this is a Spiny Oak Slug Moth, Euclea delphinii, which is featured on BugGuide, but it might also be a closely related species in the same genus.  We often get identification requests for the Spiny Oak Slug Caterpillar, but rarely the adult moth.

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orange moth in costa rica
Fri, May 15, 2009 at 5:07 PM
I found this moth in costa rica on the eastern coast near panama, what kind is it?
jes
gandoca, costa rica

Acraga coa

Dear Jes,
We are relatively certain we posted this species or a very similar species in the past, but alas, we have not been able to locate an image in our vast archives. We suspect this may be an individual in the family Lasiocampidae that includes the Tent Caterpillar MOths and Lappet Moths. Hopefully, one of our readers will write in with a correct identification.

Update: Sun, May 17, 2009 at 9:04 AM
Hi Bugman:
It’s a beautiful shot, but a little hard to identify because of the head-on view. I believe it is in the family Dalceridae (Dalcerid moths), a relatively small family of neotropical moths. Orange coloration and very fuzzy legs are typical for the group. The Dalcerids are related to the Megalopygidae and Limacodidae, and the three families are sometimes collectively known as “slug caterpillars”. Whereas many of the Megalopygidae and Limacodidae possess stinging hairs, Dalcerid larvae are covered in gelatinous tubercles which probably deter attacks from predators. I think Jes’s moth may be in the genus Acraga , possibly A. coa . Regards.
Karl

Hi Daniel:
I just found the previous post of this moth on WTB (I should have checked first). Excellent photos and an identification by Dr. Scott Miller at the Smithsonian Institution.
Karl

Thanks Karl,
It is a little sad that we could not quickly locate this identification in our own archives.

Update:  August 5, 2012
In trying to clean up some unidentified tags, we thought we would provide another link to this unusual moth on the Moths of the Andes page.

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Orange Furry Moth
Mon, Oct 27, 2008 at 7:35 PM
I saw this moth on my kitchen window at night in Jocotepec, JAL, Mexico. He was about one inch long. The first photo is him on a piece of white paper and the second photo is him on a piece of glass, shot from the other side.
David Brownell
Jocotepec, JAL, Mexico

Unknown Mexican Moth

Hi David,
Your photos are spectacular. We don’t know what this moth is and we don’t have time to research at the moment as we must dash off to work, but we are posting and hope someone can provide an answer. Here is what Julian Donahue, our neighbor the lepidopterist had to say: “It’s in the family Dalceridae. The expert on the group is Dr. Scott Miller at the Smithsonian Institution. You might want to send him the photo to get a species name. Julian”
With that information, we located a mounted specimen of Acraga coa that looks promising, but the mounted specimen lacks all the charm of David’s photographs.

Unknown Mexican Moth

Spectacular picture!  It is a Dalceridae, and the species is Acraga coa.
Dr. Scott Miller
The Smithsonian Institution

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