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Eight Spotted Forrester
(06/18/2006) What's this bug?
This is such a cool Endeavour!
My wife and were walking the other day and spotted this unusual
moth amongst some succulent plants growing along the road.
This is in Northeastern NY (Lake Peekskill, Putnam Valley
NY to be specific). I have scoured the Internet and all our
books and really cannot find anything that even closely resembles
this. Please let us know if you know what it is. Thanks, and
keep up the good work!
Patrick
Disregard
So sorry to bother you. Searched your site and deduced that
it must be the Eight Spotted Forrester I didn't recognize
it initially with the wings outstretched. Thanks!
Patrick
Hi Patrick,
We are thrilled that you found the Eight Spotted Forrester
on our site yourself. We still want to post your photo as
we do not have many images of this lovely little moth.
Giant Leopard Moth
(06/15/2006)
awesome moth id lots of colors black white circles red orange
blue
Bob
 
Hi Bob,
How lucky you are to witness and photograph the metamorphosis
of the Giant Leopard Moth, one of the Tiger Moths.
5-Spot Burnet Moth
(06/13/2006) burnet moth
Hello again
took this picture this morning of a 5-spot burnet moth in
the uk near essex they are truly fantastic creatures aren't
they! p.s keep up the good work on the site!
Ben
Hi Ben,
Thank you for submitting this wonderful image of a beautiful
5-Spot Burnet Moth, Zygaena trifolii.
Eight Spotted Forrester
(06/11/2006) mystery lepidopteran (?)
Dear Friends,
I had two of these chasing each other in my backyard in broad
daylight. Took photos that show the huge round white spots
on black wings, the cream colored "neck-warmer"
area, and the extraordinary orange that fringes the upper
parts of at least some of the legs. Have gone through butterfly
books repeatedly, and can't find anything remotely similar.
So is it a moth, and if so, what kind? Many, many thanks for
your attention and help,
Henry Schneiderman
Bloomfield CT
 
Hi Henry,
The Audubon Guide identifies your moth as an Eight Spotted
Forrester, Alypia octomaculata. This diurnal moth is often
confused for a butterfly.
Mournful
Thyris
(06/11/2006) Moth to Identify
Hi,
I photographed this moth on some scat along a woodland trail
in Smoky Mountain National Park last month. Sorry the photo
is somewhat blurred, but I think there is enough info for
an ID. Can you tell me what it is? Thanks,
Bruce
Hi Bruce,
Your pretty little black and white spotted moth is known as
a Mournful Thyris, Pseudothyris sepulchralis.
Utetheisa pulchella from Israel
(05/29/2006) moth
dearest bug people,
once again, thank you for such a wonderful site. i found this
little guy (1/2 inch) flying around our control room at the
israeli electric co.) i couldn't get him to pose with his
wings open but the under wings were sort of plain, greyish
beige. what kind of moth is it???
much love!
michael bailey - israel
Hi Michael,
This looks so much like the American Rattlebox Moth, Utetheisa
bella, that we were surprised to read your letter that it
is from Israel. A google search of the genus name and Israel
led us to a site that pictures Utetheisa
pulchella.
Polka-Dot
Wasp Moth
(05/27/2006) Fly found by grandson
Hi.
My grandson found this fly outside our house in Florida and
wanted to know what kind of bug it was. I was pleased to find
your site (the pictures are great), but I could not find this
fly there. Can you identify it?
Thanks
Michael
Hi Michael,
The "fly" is a Polka-Dot Wasp Moth, also known as an Oleander
Moth.
Tiger
Moth
(05/24/2006) Beautiful small moth...what is it???
I found this in my yard in southern New Jersey on 5/7/06.
I have never seen one like it can you let me know what this
one is?
This is a Tiger Moth, probably in the genus Apantesis.
Yellow-Banded Wasp Moth
(05/02/2006) Unidentified moth? wasp in Florida Everglades
Please identify this critter if you can. I thought it was
either a Faithful Beauty or an Oleander moth, but after looking
at your web site, I am wrong. I have no clue.
Thanks
Linda
Hi Linda,
This is one of the Wasp Moths, but we are not sure of the
species. We will post your image and if we are lucky, someone
will write in and identify it. We later contacted noted lepidopterist
Julian P. Donahue who gave us the following identification:
"it's Syntomeida ipomoeae (spelled it right from memory, but
I had to check!), Arctiidae: Ctenuchinae. Holland (1903) called
it the "Yellow-banded Wasp-moth), while Covell (1984) calls
it the "Yellow-banded Wasp Moth). This family happens to
be one that I specialize in. Gotta run, Julian "
Underwing Moth
(04/30/2006) Underwing moth
Hello,
We found this moth in our backyard in Austin, Texas. We think
it is an underwing moth but aren't sure which one. Can you
help?
Thanks!
The Stences
Hi Stences,
You are correct. This is an Underwing Moth in the genus Catocala.
There are so many similar looking species it would take an
expert to give you a definitive species identification, and
even then, it might require the specimen. We will ask around
for a second opinion. We were directed to contact Edward Knudson,
an expert in this genus and here is his response: "The Underwing
moth from Austin, TX is Catocala ilia, one of the most common
of the 60 or so species in Texas. The larvae feed on Oaks.
Ed"
White
Furcula: Metamorphosis of a Prominent Moth
(04/22/2006) furcula moth
Hi bugman,
Great site! Here are some before and after photos of a furcula
moth. Have we identified it correctly?
Paige
Jacksonville, FL
 
Hi Paige,
We are thrilled to have your correctly identified images of
the moth, cocoon and caterpillar of the White Furcula, Furcula borealis,
one of the Prominent Moths. It is also called the Wild Cherry
Furcula and it looks like your wonderful photos also show
the host plant. Your images are Audubon quality. Can we be
picky and request the egg images at a later date?
Tent Caterpillar, Carpenter Bee and Emerald Moth
(04/21/2006) Hello Bugman!
We live in Southwestern Louisiana, in the "Prairie"
region. A small, green moth was resting on the ceiling of
our patio. It was no more than 3/4 of an inch in wingspan,
and was resting there for several hours. We could not find
an exact match in any of the moths sections, and were wondering
what it may be. Also attached are some pretty photos of an
Eastern Tent Caterpillar (I think), and a neat close-up of
a Carpenter Bee. We love to look at your website, and have
spent many hours together exploring it since we came across
it. Thanks for your time, and thanks for a great site!
Melissa and Jody Glasscock
Lafayette, Louisiana
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| Eastern
Tent Caterpillar |
Emerald
Moth |
Hi Melissa and Jody,
Thanks for your photos of the Eastern Tent Caterpillar, Malacosoma
americanum and Carpenter Bee, Xylocopa species. Your moth
is a species of Geometrid in the Subfamily Geometrinae, the
Emeralds.
Pearly Wood Nymph
(04/18/2006) bird dropping moth?
I thought you might be able to help me identify this moth.
My limited research leads me to suspect that it is a looper
moth? I photographed it on my back deck located in lower south-western
South Carolina. Thanks for your help.
Heather
Hi Heather,
The Pearly Wood Nymph, Eudryas unio, really does resemble
bird droppings.
Mournful Thyris: Mating Mystery Moths Identified
(04/16/2006) your ID help would be appreciated
About 1 year ago I moved from CA to TN and I'm having a great
time trying to figure out what the various critters I'm finding
here actually are. I'm sending this pic as a link because
I'm stuck with what seems to be the slowest dialup connection
in the world. Just in case I decide to share my pics with
more than one person, I upload them to my web site and then
share them by sending the link so I only have to upload them
once. I just found these 2 doing the wild thing on the underside
of a daffodil leaf. Any idea what they are? Thanks
Ken Childs
Hi Ken,
We thought identifying these distinctive moths would be easy.
We are still stumped. We will continue to check. The photo,
meanwhile, is gorgeous.
(04/17/2006)
Hi there, I just wanted to say kudos on your great site! I'm
currently trying to identify and caterpillar I found in my
bathroom, and I amgrowing more and more increasingly eager
to just rear it and find out what it is! I hope this is a
bit of help to you. I believe the spotted moths that are inquestion
from the 16th are "mournful Thyris" moths. cheers!
Kitty
Hi Kitty,
Thank you so much for your assistance. We found the Mournful
Thyris, Pseudothyris sepulchralis, on BugGuide
which puts it in the family Thyrididae, Window-Winged Moths.
Plume Moth
(04/13/2006) T-Shaped Bug
Hi,
This fluttered out when I was raking the grass. I can't tell
if its wings are folded, or those "arms" are its
wings. Can you please tell me what it is? thanks,
Stewart C. Russell
Scarborough, ON
Hi Stewart,
Plume Moths have a very distict wing form, which your photograph
nicely illustrates. Plume Moths are in the family Pterophoridae.
Brown
Ctenuchid
(04/07/2006) bug id Greetings - i wondered if you could tell
me what this is....i fel SO bad - i'm sure we had something
to do with its injury. Humanely euthanized...
Thank you!!!
Rebecca
Hi Rebecca
Thank you for sending in your photo of a mortally wounded
Brown
Ctenuchid, Ctenucha brunnea, a Tiger Moth that is found
in California and Arizona.
Yellow Admiral and Granny Moth from Australia
(04/03/2006) Butterfly and moth
Hey bugman!
I couln't find either of these bugs on your site, but I might
have missed them somehow. Either way I just wanted a second
opinion on the ID of these guys. The first attached picture
is a moth that was on our back porch a couple of months ago.
I have only ever heard them called 'granny moths'. Dasypodia
selenophora was the scientific name I found on another site
but hey, I could be wrong. The other is a butterfly that landed
on some wet washing on the line that looks kind of like the
one at the bottom of your butterflies page. My search ended
with the name Vanessa itea or Yellow Admiral. Anyway, thought
you might like them even if I gave them the wrong names!
Dayna
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| Yellow
Admiral |
Granny
Moth |
Hi Dayna,
We do have a Yellow Admiral photo that arrived a few months
ago. It is on our second butterfly page. The moth is one of
the Owlet Moths, but we like the name Granny Moth. Even though
your letter didn't state a location, we are guessing you are
in New Zealand.
Whoops I new I forgot something, sorry! I'm in South Australia.
Close guess though.
Large
Tolype
(03/30/2006) BEAUTIFUL MOTH
Hi Bugman.. I found this picture at a real estate site we
are corresponding with in Dunlap, Tennessee. Someone building
one of their log homes stopped and took this picture on the
side of the house. They captured and kept this picture on
their site. I decided to send it to you, in hopes you could
identify it? It is gorgeous and seems rather large. Can you
let me know what this spectacular, furry moth is? Thanks so
much!
Nanette
Hi Nanette,
This moth is a Large Tolype, Tolype velleda, a relative of
the Tent Caterpillar.
Polka
Dot Wasp Moth
(03/29/2006) THANKS!
We had a wonderful holiday in Florida in November 2004. When
we were leaving one of the parks in Orlando I saw this beautiful
'insect' and have meant to look it up ever since. My sons
and I were mesmerised by it. I asked some American people
who were also on holiday if it was a native of Florida and
they said that it had probably come in after some storms as
they had never seen such an insect before either. It gathered
quite a crowd in the end! I decided tonight that I'd try and
find out what this lovely bug was. I have it as a screensaver
on my computer but have often wondered about it - so thanks
to your website I now know! I thought I'd send you my photographs.
Another 'wasp'? came along and one of my photos shows both
so that I could remember how big this beautiful insect really
was! Hope to visit America again soon to see if we can find
any more beautiful creatures like this. Thank you from Wales,
U.K.
Marian
 
Hi Marian,
Thanks for your lovely letter and your wonderful photo of
a Polka Dot Wasp Moth. The Honey Bee provides a nice sense
of scale.
South African Owlet Moth
(03/25/2006) Moth 009
Hi there,
Thanks for such a wonderful site. I've never seen so many
gorgeous moths in my entire life and wonder if you could identify
this one for me, although I am in South Africa..... regard
it as a challenge, if you have to, but I'm getting a bit obscessed
with it. Seems to have 'cats eyes' on its wings and a mouth!
I let it outside once I'd taken some photos, so that the dogs
wouldn't get it. Would be much obliged if you know its name.
Have a super day,
Warm regards,
Cheryl
Hi Cheryl,
We are unable to provide you with an exact species, but we
can tell you this is an Owlet Moth in the Family Noctuidae.
If we did locate an exact species, it would probably only
have a scientific name, but there might be a local common
name.
Tiger
Moth
(03/21/2006) Having problems IDing some bugs
I have several pictures. I have been on your website for the
past 3 1/2 hours and have been unable to locate all of our
bug picture collection. I have sent you a few of them. I would
appreciate your help. My 7 year old son and I have been collecting
bug pictures for quite some time and have looked in several
books and several web sites. Your's by far is the best. Thanks.
p.s. we live in central Oklahoma, that might prove helpful
in the identification. Thanks again.
Mitzi
Hi Mitzi,
In order to streamline our posting, we will try to identify
your creatures one at a time. BugGuide
identifies this moth as one ot the Tiger Moths in the genus
Apantesis and says: "Identification of species is difficult,
and the taxonomy may still be rather confused. " Our Insects
of the Los Angeles Basin by Charles Hogue shows a nearly identical
moth, Hewletts Tiger Moth, Notarctia hewletti, but we suspect
the taxonomy is outdated.
Black Witch
(03/19/2006) Unidentified Moth
I took a picture of this huge moth (almost 6" across)
in the Mayan Riviera in Mexico in December 2005. It was sitting
on the top doorframe of our hotel room. Can you identify it
??
Thanks,
Ron Boss
Hi Ron,
The Black Witch is a very common Noctuid Moth in Mexico. It
is frequently found in the southern state, usually in the
fall, and has been known to migrate as far north as Canada.
Indian
Meal Moth
(03/19/2006) kitchen moths
These things have been around my kitchen for months and I
can't figure out what they are or how to get rid of them.
Amazingly enough, I couldn't find any photos of them on your
site. Any idea what it is?
Steve
Hi Steve,
We published our first column in 1999, and we have been answering
this question since the first year. It is even a surprise
to us though, that this is the first ever photo we have received
of a Meal Moth or Cereal Moth. Your photo depicts the Indian
Meal Moth, Plodia interpunctella. You must have an infestation
in some grain product including pasta, corn meal, rice, oat
meal or even pet food. The larvae are the destructive phase
and they are always found in a mass of silken webbing. Clean
out the pantry and thank you so much for sending a photo.
Spiders
and a Moth from Costa Rica
(02/26/2006) foreign bugs
Hi Bugman -
Your site is great! It looks like you are getting many foreign
bugs now - so here are some from my recent trip to Costa Rica,
bug paradise. A really cool spider that I think is a Micrathena,
a huge wolf spider that I found in my bed when I woke up one
morning (first I screamed, then I grabbed my camera) and one
of the many beautiful moths I saw. Thanks again for all your
great work,
Allison
 
Hi Allison,
All of your photographs are stunning. We agree with your Micrathena
identification. The Wolf Spider might be a Wolf Spider, and
we do not recognize the beautiful Moth.
Update: Eric Eaton just provided us with
the following information. " Ok, the spiders from Ecuador
and Costa Rica: They are most likely NOT wolf spiders, but
wandering spiders, either in the family Ctenidae or Sparassidae.
They tend to be more common, and even larger than, wolf spiders
in the tropics. At least one species, Phoneutria fera, is
extremely aggressive, with potentially deadly venom. Do not
mess with large spiders in Central and South America! The
venomous types are very difficult to distinguish from harmless
species, and in any event, a bite is going to be really painful.
These spiders sometimes stow away in bananas, houseplants,
and other exported goods, so they can show up in odd places.
Be careful where you put your hands:-) Oh, the lovely yellow
moth is probably some kind of noctuid, which narrows it down
to only several thousand species. Just thought I'd help you
out there:-) Take care. Eric"
Florida
Caterpillar: Yellow Collared Scape Moth
(01/31/2006) Mystery caterpillar
Hello!
Alex's Mom here again! We love your website!!! Alex found
this caterpillar performing tricks at the circus. Actually,
it was climbing the chain link fence outside of Cirque du
Solieu in Miami. We took him home and tried to research what
kind of caterpillar it was so we could scrounge up some food
for it. No luck on finding what this is, could you help? It
has already formed a chrysalis within 12 hours of our bringing
it home. We're assuming that is why it was up on the chain
link fence. Thanks for your help!!!
Alex and his Mom
Hi Alex and Mom,
Sorry to fail you, but we don't recognize your little critter.
It might be a Noctuid Caterpillar, and superficially resembles
The Laugher, but it is a different species. We will continue
to research.
Metamorphosis
(02/22/2006) mystery caterpillar emerges as mystery moth
Hi there.
We sent you a picture of a caterpillar not long ago (see attached)
and we actually stumped you. So now that the moth emerged
today, we wanted to send you pics to see if you could figure
out what it is. My son thinks it's the Ctenucha Virginica.
Is he close?? Thank you!
Alex and his Mom
Hi Alex and his Mom,
Though your moth bears a striking resemblance to a Virginia
Ctenucha, the caterpillar is very different. We believe to
be a Yellow Collared Scape Moth, Cisseps fulvicollis, a much
closer caterpillar match.
Geometrid Moth
(02/16/2006) Not a Hawk Moth
Any Idea What Kind Of Bug This Is?
I added the "leaf moth" name.
Andy Moon
Lilburn, GA (near Atlanta)
Hi Andy,
This is one of the Geometrid Moths, but we have difficulty
distinguishing the species from one another. The name Geometrid
refers to the behavior of the larvae, known as Inch Worms
or Measuring Worms.
Plume Moth from Germany
(02/13/2006) Unknown...
Hi
First: nice site! Your site was mentioned in the german computer
magazin c't. I'm living in Germany and found this littly guy
in Black Forrest in August 2004. I think about one centimeter
long. The top in the picture seemed to be the head. Sorry
for the poor quality, my cam is not made for such close-ups.
Regards
Norbert
Hi Norbert,
Moths in the family Pterophoridae are known as Plume Moths.
Some species are agricultural pests.
Black
Witch gets tipsy on Rum!!
(02/11/2006) Very Large Moth - Probably a Black Witch
Hi, Bugman,
This is my second submission of a giant moth photo. The first,
last summer, was an Imperial moth that I discovered on a rose
bush in front of my house in Pennsylvania. I never expected
to see another insect that large again. To my surprise, while
sitting in an outdoor hotel bar in Isla Mujeres, Mexico, the
critter in the attached photo landed on my piña colada!
It was variegated brown with very prominent “eye”
markings. For scale, the glass is about 8” tall and
2-1/2” in diameter. I’m guessing it’s a
Black Witch, judging from the other recent submissions from
the same area (Isla Mujeres is 5 miles of the coast of Cancun
and about 40 miles north of Playa del Carmen).
Cheers,
Gary Garb
 
Hi again Gary,
This is indeed a Black Witch which are very common in Mexico.
We love your quirky photo, exactly the kind of image that
appeals to our aesthetic. We are amused that you eat olives
while drinking Piņa Coladas and we are even more amused by
your variation of Sugaring
for Moths, a collecting technique that is simply the act of
going from one tree to another and painting each tree with
a sweet, slightly alcoholic, and highly aromatic mixture.
White-Tipped
Black Geometrid
(02/11/2006) Name That Moth!
Hi, Bugman! Can you help us identify this guy? He and a bunch
more like him have been swarming around our Merritt Island,
Florida yard since about November. Thanks a bunch. Great site!
Heather and Kevin Fresa
HI Heather and Kevin,
This is a White-tipped Black Geometrid, Melanchroia chephise,
though it resembles some of the wasp mimics in the Tiger Moth
Family.
Ailanthus
Webworm Moth
(02/08/2006) What's this beauty?
Hello, WTB! My name is Emily, I'm 16, and I've just found
your site. I've been wondering for awhile, what kind of bug
is this? I can only assume it's a kind of beetle, but I'm
not sure. It's sitting on some sedum flowers, just to give
you an idea of the size, and it was kind of metallic. I'm
hoping it's a new species, but I'm not going to bet any money
on it :). I took this picture around the same time that the
honeybees were active because one stung me after I took this.
Hope you can tell me it's name!
Emily
Hi Emily,
This is an Ailanthus Webworm Moth, Atteva punctella. This
tiny moth ranges from Southern New England to the Gulf States.
Black Witch
(01/26/2006) Big Moth
Hi, I found this large (~5" wingspan) moth in our beach
hotel in Playa del
Carmen, Mexico in late December. I'm guessing it's a saturniid
but can't find any pictures to narrow it down. Can you help?
I've been searching the Web for hours! Gracias,
Liz Gerson
Hi Liz,
The reason you couldn't find the Black Witch, Ascalapha odorata,
is because it isn't a Saturnid, but a Noctuid, one of the
Owlet Moths.
Wow, thank you so much! It was really "bugging" me that I
couldn't find it. Now I am finding there's some scary mythology
about this moth in Mexico. It's an interesting critter.
Mythology
from http://texasento.net/witch.htm
"The Black Witch has a fascinating cultural as well as natural
history. Known in Mexico by the Indians since Aztec times
as mariposa de la muerte (butterfly of death). When there
is sickness in a house and this moth enters, the sick person
dies. (Hoffmann 1918) A variation on this theme heard in the
lower Rio Grande Valley (Southmost Texas) is that death only
occurs if the moth flies in and visits all four corners of
one's house. Merlmn & Vasquez (2002) point out that the number
four is important in Mesoamerica because of its relationship
with the four cardinal directions (east, west, north and south).
The moth was known among the Mexicans as Micpapalotl, the
butterfly of death. In Mesoamerica, from the prehispanic era
until the present time nocturnal butterflies have been associated
with death and the number four. In some parts of Mexico, people
joke that if one flies over someone's head, the person will
lose his hair. Still another myth: seeing one means that someone
has put a curse on you! In Hawaii, Black Witch mythology,
though associated with death, has a happier note in that if
a loved one has just died, the moth is an embodiment of the
person's soul returning to say goodbye. On Cat Island, Bahamas,
they are locally known as Money Moths or Moneybats, and the
legend is that if they land on you, you will come into money.
Similarly in South Texas if a Black Witch lands above your
door and stays there for a while you would win the lottery!
Note: the Black Witch moth does not bite, sting, nor carry
diseases. It has only a straw-like proboscis or tongue to
drink flower nectar through. It is perfectly harmless though
it might cause one to be quite startled if flushed from its
daytime hiding place."
Thanks again,
Liz
Yellow Collared Scape Moths: Mating and Waiting!!!
(01/26/2006) Moth identification
Attached are pics of two moths. Please help me with the identification.
Cory Walters
Grissom ARB, IN
 
Hi Cory,
When we read your message, we didn't realize the moths were
attached to each other. These mating moths are Yellow Collared
Scape Moths, Cisseps fulvicollis. The moths are wasp mimics.
BugGuide
has additional information.
Leopard Moth with Atrophied Wings!!!
(01/19/2006) Leopard Moth
Hey Bugman-
I almost stepped on this thing as I was walking through the
house yesterday... its about an inch and a quarter long. wings
seem to be nonfucntional, but im thinking it might be an immature
leopard moth? what do you think? didnt respond to any movement
in front of it.. in fact, it seemed to barely respond until
last night when things cooled down and it got dark. There
doesnt seem to be any real eyes either.... odd.
Thanks a bunch,
Matt
Hi Matt,
Ordinarily, we would say this is a newly metamorphosed Leopard
Moth that had just emerged from the pupal stage. The wings
take several hours to expand. After reading your letter though,
we are inclined to believe it is an adult moth with atrophied
wings, a birth defect.
Ctenucha and Neduba Katydid Sierra Shieldback
(01/10/2006) Moth and katydid
Hi,
Attached are two pictures of a moth and one of a female katydid.
Both species were photographed at low elevations in southwestern
Oregon. The moth was at a Tansy Ragwort flower in late summer
close to the coast, and there may have been two species present
or both sexes of one species. I suspect it (they?) is a member
of the genus Ctenucha. I found the katydid on our deck after
a cold night in late autumn and I placed it on a leaf to photograph
it. I think the katydid is a member of the shield back group
(given that structure, it should be!), but I have not been
able to identify it. Your website is excellent. If you can
use these photographs in any way, please feel free to do so.
Bob Pollock
Roseburg, OR
 
Hi Bob,
Your moth is a Ctenucha and we wrote to Eric Eaton to see
if he recognized your Katydid. Here is his response: " Well,
that's just plain bizarre! I don't recognize it, and it is
very difficult to tell anything conclusive from a dorsal aspect
alone. However, it does remind me of an insect in the katydid
genus Neduba. The powers that be have reorganized that genus,
so I couldn't begin to tell you what species it might be.
There is also always the possibility that it is something
exotic that got loose. My bet would still be on Neduba. Any
chance this person can post it to Bugguide where it will get
more (professional) eyes looking at it? Eric " We would like
to post your Katydid on BugGuide to see if we can get an exact
species. If you don't mind, please let us know.
Ed. Note: Eric Eaton continued to research
including getting an expert opinion from Rick Westcott who
is retired from the Oregon Dept. of Agriculture. Here is that
information on the Sierra Shieldback, Neduba sierranus :
"Holotypic
male, from Orthoptera Species File Online (Naskrecki & Otten
1997+), Of course, the image you sent is of a female.
If not the same species, it is close. The same Google search
did not turn up this species as occurring in Oregon. Cheerio
chap, Rick Westcott, retired from the Oregon Dept. of Agriculture
" Eric concluded with this comment: "Wish my friend had included
the species name with this image of a Neduba, but at least
he lists the site. The submission could well be a range extension
for the species, don't know yet."
Hi again, Attached are two more photographs of the unusual
katydid. One is from the side and the other is a close-up
of the unusual dorsal structure. The katydid was so different
from other katydids I have seen that I should have collected
it but, of course, I didn't. I hope it's not an exotic that
might prove to be a problem - we have more than enough of
those already! I didn't measure it, but the katydid was about
the same size as the Fork-tailed Bush Katydids I had photographed
in the summer. If anyone needs higher-resolution files for
identification purposes, please let me know. And please feel
free to post the pictures on BugGuide. Thanks for all your
help and for the Ctenucha verification.
Bob
Melonworm Moth
12/28/2005) Help, help ... Moth? Butterfly? What-in-the-world
IS this?
Hi! What a delight to find your website while searching for
"moth tufted tail" !! I'm so curious about the "identity"
of this striking little moth (or butterfly?)I found on my
door screen in Houston, Texas on a morning in October 2005.
It was about 3/4 inches from wingtip to wingtip. Can you tell
me what it is?
Thanks in advance!
Ginger
Hi Ginger,
Just last month, we posted a photo of Diaphania hyalinata
which goes by the common name Melonworm Moth.
Painted
Arachnis Mating and Resulting Hatchlings
(12/23/2005) tiger moth mating
Hello bugman,
A few months ago I submitted shots of tiger moths laying eggs
along with the hatched larvae. I did not originally have the
moths mating picture. I finally located it! Hope you still
need one.
Nancy (havard) Rendel
San Luis Obipso, CA
 
Hi Nancy,
We received and posted the egg laying image of the Painted
Arachnis, but did not receive the hatchling photo. We are
happy to post it along side the long dead parents.
Diurnal
Fairy Moths: Adela species
(12/17/2005) A Pair of Fairy Moths
These fairy moths appear every spring in the former Fort Ord,
near Monterey CA. They have absolutely incredible antennae.
Matt
Hi Matt,
Your photo is spectacular, but sadly, we don't know what this
moth is. We are currently seeking more professional advice
and will notify you when we have an answer. We have posted
the image on BugGuide
and hope to get an answer soon. If we get a response, we are
requesting your permission to keep the image on BugGuide
which is a reference site we frequently use to help us identify
unusual finds. Note: After several hours
of internet chatter, the genus has been established as Adela,
and the species purpurea has been eliminated.
You have my permission to use the image on BugGuide. I read
on whatsthatbug.com ther might be a print version at some
time. How do you plan on crediting contributors?
matt
Hi again Matt,
Seems the talk on BugGuide is that this is Adela genus, and
the species purpurea has been eliminated because of the range.
Hannah wrote in: "According to Covell, the range of A. purpurea
is Nova Scotia to New Jersey and west to Manitoba - too far
north, I think, to match these. Covell's picture does not
have so much white as these, either. I think they must be
a different species." If we ever do a publication, our plan
was to credit the people according to the way they signed
their emails. This is in keeping with the spirit of other
column publications like Ann Landers or Miss Manners. There
could be a problem with image copyrights, but we do have a
notice on our homepage that contributions might be used in
future publications as well as being posted online.
DECORATED BEAUTY is Unidentified Mexican Beauty: Tiger Moth
(12/14/2005) what's this moth?
Dear Bugman,
I found this moth in my kitchen in southern Mexico City this
morning (December). I didn't think it was even a real bug
at first, but it is. It has a red and black abdomen. The green
markings are actually greyer than they look in the photo.
What the heck is it?
Thank you,
Elizabeth Collins
Hi Elizabeth,
We are so sorry to disappoint you, but we have no idea what
your Mexican beauty is. Perhaps if we post it, someone will
write in with a reply.
Ed. Note: (12/20/2005)
Eric Eaton just wrote in the following comment. " The Mexican
beauty moth is a tiger moth of some kind, family Arctiidae.
Probably won't be too hard to track down. I'll see what I
can do with my references. Looks like that Mexican tiger moth
might be in the genus Idalus. Lots of very similar-looking
species in that group anyway."
Update: 01/15/2007)
Unidentified Mexican Beauty: Tiger Moth - Anaxita decorata
Hey Guys,
I think I figured out what your "Mexican Beauty" is:
http://www.texasento.net/Anaxita.htm
Mike
Hi Mike,
Thank you so much for doing this research and informing us about the Decorated Beauty. Normally, we do not post updates on our homepage (only to the archives), but this little gem deserves reposting. Thanks again.
Scarlet Bodied Wasp Moth
(12/05/2005) scarlet bodied wasp moth
This moth is a new one for us to see in this area (Louisiana,
zone 8 - 8b) I would love to see what the caterpillar
looks like. The arrival of this moth may have something
to do with our hurricanes this year, but i don't know.
Marianna
Hi Marianna,
What a beautiful image of a beautiful moth. The Scarlet Bodied
Wasp Moth, Cosmosoma myrodora, is most common in Florida,
but has been reported in Georgia, Alabama and Louisiana. The
green caterpillar has black hairs and feeds on climbing hempweed.
Bugguide
has a caterpillar image.
White
Tipped Black Geometrid
(11/29/2005)Can you tell me who this is?
Saw this guy on a very windy mid-morning, November, in North
Central Florida, clinging to that piece of grass like his
life depended on it.
Tim
 
Hi Tim,
We first searched superficially, and today more thoroughly,
to identify your beautiful moth which we believe to be an
Arctiid Moth. Sadly we can't get a conclusive species for
you despite those distinctive white wing spots. We will continue
to search and post the image on Bugguide.
Moments after posting on Bugguide, Tony Thomas wrote in with
the following identification: "Looks like a Tiger moth but
is a Geometrid, White-tipped Black Melanchroia chephise "
Plume Moth
(11/29/2005) Can you identify this interesting bug?
I noticed it sitting on the wall of my old house in CT. I
thought it was very interesting looking, so I grabbed my camera.
I never had someone ID it. Any ideas? With our luck in that
house, that was probably eating the wall in this photo. Thanks
for your help!
Valerie Shade
Hi Valerie,
What a nice photo of a Plume Moth in the Family Pterophoridae.
Your wall is quite safe, but some species are agricultural
pests.
Exotic
Invader: Wasp Mimic Moth
(11/25/2005) Pryeria sinica
Hi there…what an interesting site! I first visited
about a month ago hoping to identify these wasp-mimicking
moths that were swarming around the Euonymus hedgerow in back
of my townhouse in central Maryland . For the entire
month of October and the first two weeks of November, I had
to run to my car with a jacket over my head because the infestation
was so thick! I just learned that this species is Pryeria
sinica and it is native to the Far East. Apparently
it is a newly-identified pest species in my area and kind
of a big deal! I thought others in the Maryland/Virginia area
might find this useful, as there isn’t very much information
available. I read something from the Maryland Dept.
of Agriculture that says it’s crucial to report these
guys if you see them. I wish I’d known that a
few weeks ago. The invaders all died about two weeks
ago when it really started to get cold. Attached are the best
images I could find…I’m sorry, I don’t have
the ability to thumbnail them.
Carley C. Heelen
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| Pryeria
sinica male |
Pryeria
sinica female |
Hi Carley,
Thanks for the wealth of information and your photos. They
are a welcome addition to our site.
I should add that those are not my photos, because it didn't
occur to me to take any. I found them on this site: http://everest.ento.vt.edu/~idlab/newmoth/newmoth.htm
Carley C. Heelen
Wasp
MImic Moth from Australia
(11/20/2005) A nice waspy mothy thing from The Hunter Valley
in NSW, Australia
Hi Bugman,
I love your site; was lost in it for more than an hour the
other day checking out your caterpillars. Today we drove out
from Sydney to The Hunter Valley where I acquired this lovely
broach. I scoured your moth pages, but couldn’t find
anything that matched exactly, but it looks like a clearwing
wasp-mimicking thing – what do you think? I hope you
like it!
Regards,
Nadia
 
Hi Nadia,
We agree that this is one of the Wasp Mimic Arctiids or Tiger
Moths. Sorry we can't help with the species, but we love your
photograph.
Heterocampa
Caterpillar metamorphoses into Moth
(11/20/2005) Heterocampa?
I dug up this 1 1⁄2”, pink caterpillar while working
in the garden October 6, 2005 and placed it in a container
of moist soil in my workshop. On October 27 it had hatched
and was then found on the wall of the shop where I photographed
it and then released without touching. The moth, about
1 1/8” long has some faint but dark green on the wings.
The under wing is mostly white. I am guessing
that it was eating from an oak tree, but that is only a guess.
Does it have a name?
Thank you,
Glenn MacRill
Houston , TX
Please do not publish my email address.
 
Hi Glenn,
Yes this is a Heterocampa species. We don't feel confident
enough identifying individual species. They do belong in the
Prominent Moth family, but that is the best common name we
can offer. Thanks for the photos, the first adult we have
received. By the way, we never publish email addresses.
Melonworm Moth
(11/17/2005) I think it's a moth
I just took this picture of a moth that has a fuzzy tail that
was swinging back and forth very slowly with each of the little
hairs moving as the tail moved. At first I thought there was
a spider on the end of the moth until I got my nose up close.
It measured about 3/4" from wing tip to wing tip. I live
in the Yucatan very near the border with Belize. Sorry the
picture quality isn't better.
Kathe Kirkbride
Hi Kathe
Luckily, in the case of getting your moth identified, insects
do not respect international borders. Quite fortuitously,
the first page we opened in our archaic Holland Moth Book
revealed a plate of 60 moths including your little Glyphodes
hyalinata. We had no common name. We located a mention on
BugGuide, but no image. More web searching turned up no images,
but we were led to a site, the Moth
Photographer's Group from the Mississippi State University
Entomological Museum. It pictured two other moths in the genus
Glyphodes, but not your moth. Your moth was pictured further
down the row under a different genus, Diaphania hyalinata.
So, there was some reclassification of the genus after Holland's
book was published. There are some nice live images of your
moth which goes by the common name Melonworm Moth. Retro-searching
BugGuide
with the new information gave us a hit and the following information:
it is in the Family "Pyralidae, and the caterpillar is a pest
of cucumber, melons, pumpkins and squash." Identifying your
species has lead us to a wonderful new website, the Moth
Photographers Group.
Painted
Arachnis lays eggs
(11/14/2005) ?
I had a great pic of this moth mating but cannot seem to locate
it. This was taken in San Luis Obispo, CA / central california.
I am used to seeing moths of single color brown, grey but
not like this. What is it?
Nancy
Hi Nancy,
We are sad to not have received the photo of the Painted Arachnis,
Arachnis picta, mating. It would have been a lovely addition
to our Bug Love page. This is a very common Tiger Moth at
our Mt. Washington offices and we often see females laying
eggs on our garage. The caterpillars are typical Woolly Bears.
Giant Leopard Moth
(11/05/2005) 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.
White Spotted Sable
(10/30/2005) 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.
Eight Spotted Forester
(10/26/2005) 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.
Clymene
Moth and Polyphemus Moth
(10/25/2005) 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.
Ctenuchid
from Costa Rica
(10/22/2005) unidentified ctenuchinae moth????
Hi ...LOVE YOUR SITE!!!.... anyways , I am an ex-northerner
, now living in the mountains of Costa Rica. I have started
a bug/moth/butterfly collection. Your site has been invaluable
to me because even though I am living in the tropics and many
of the insects are different , the families and classification
remains the same and for some of the insects /butterflies
even narrowing that down has been a help. But now I am stumped!!!
.... I found these two moths within a day of each other in
the early morning sitting in the sun..not that far from each
other. I have spent weeks and weeks on the internet trying
to make a positive ID...(that's how I came across your site)
the best I could do was Arctiidae (Ctenuchinae) or family
sphingidae.. and I am not even sure this is right . I have
enclosed a photo of both ... I am assuming the smaller one
on the left is a male (the abdomen has shrivelled somewhat
but there are claspers on the bottom)and the larger one on
the right is female . Any help would be appreciated.... thank
you in advance!
Theresia
Barva, Costa Rica
Hi Theresia,
We agree that this is a Ctenuchine Tiger Moth and not a Sphingid.
Sorry we can't help with the species. We seem to recall having
looked at a tropical Ctenuchine site last year but we were
unable to locate it.
Painted
Arachnis: Fresh from the Pupa!!
(10/17/2005) do you know what bug this is
Hi,
Attaching a copy of a photo of a bug I've never seen before.
Do you know what it is and whether it's harmful to plants,
etc.
Thank you,
Marilyn Bradley
Hi Marilyn,
This is a Painted Arachnis, Arachnis picta, and it is freshly
metamorphosed. The wings will soon expand and harden for flight.
This is a type of Tiger Moth and it does not feed as an adult.
The caterpillars are Wooly Bears and feed on a large variety
of weedy plants.
Yellow Collared Scape Moth
(10/14/2005) Yellow-collared Scape Moth
Hello Folks, I hope all is well. I am surprised
that this late in the year I am still able to
discover new insects to photograph. I
have seen several moths on your website similar to the yellow-
collared scape moth that I found this morning. I did a little
internet searching and found out the exact species - am I
correct? Take Care,
Janet from Dundas, Ontario
Hi Again Janet,
Your Yellow Collared Scape Moth goes by the scientific name
Cisseps fulvicollis. Adults can be found from May through
October. They don't die out until the killing frost.
Polka-Dot Wasp Moth
(10/12/2005) blue bee?
I was out doing some gardening today and ran into this.
This resembles a type of bee in nature. I have seen
plain blue ones before (that look like yellow-jackets) but
never anything like this. You are not just seeing spots,
The wings were jet black with white polka-dots on them.
The orange and blue body was magnificent. Any ideas on what
this is?
Thanks!
Kathie
Hi Kathie,
As its name implies, the Polka-Dot Wasp Moth is a true moth
that mimics a wasp in appearance. The caterpillars feed on
oleander.
Pearly Wood Nymph
(10/10/2005) Butterfly? Moth?
Hi!
Found your site while searching the web looking to identify
this insect. It landed on our door frame here at work about
a month ago - luckily, one of us took a few pictures. It
never spread its wings in the two hours we watched it before
leaving for the day, so couldn't get a nice view. Haven't
seen a picture of another fuzzy-legged butterfly yet. Any
idea what it is?
Thanks!
Chris Richardson
Peru, Indiana
Hi Chris,
The Pearly Wood-Nymph, Eudryas unio, is a moth not a butterfly.
Black
Witch
(10/06/2005) What kind of moth is this?
Joe Greco
Black Witch
Update:
(10/15/2005) Black Witch
Hola Bugman,
You seem to be relying on some outdated sources of information
about the black witch moth, namely: Covell, C.V. 1984. Field
Guide to Moths of Eastern North America. Houghton Mifflin
Co., Boston. Powell, J.A. & C.L. Hogue. 1979. California Insects.
University of California Press, Berkeley. 388 pp. Current
taxonomy is: Ascalapha odorata. Both males and females (in
equal proportions) migrate north starting at the end of May,
not late summer. They regularly (probably annually) reach
Canada, as I know of some 30 Canadian records. They are actually
most common across the Southwest, not in the Gulf coast states
of LA, MISS, Alabama... They do breed in the US as larvae
have been found in Southmost Texas and due to their abundance
in Florida, they much breed there as well. More BWM info here:
North American Black Witch Records http://www.texasento.net/witchna.htm
Natural History of the Black Witch http://www.texasento.net/witch.htm
Black Witch - Storm Information www.texasento.net/witch_storm.htm
Early Northern 2005 BWM Records www.TexasEnto.net/witch_north.htm
Hope this helps...
Mike
Texas Entomology
www.TexasEnto.net
Sesiid,
species unknown
(09/30/2005) Hi -
What a great site, funny and very informative! I
think this is a clearwing moth - I took the photo over Labor
Day weekend at about 10,000 feet in the Eastern Sierra. What
is it? Thanks,
Allison
Hi Allison,
We are so thrilled you appreciate our humor. We just posted
a letter from an irate reader who called us rude. This is
definitely one of the Wasp Mimicing Clearwing Moths in the
Family Sesiidae, but the species is unknown to us.
Painted Arachnis
(09/24/2005) is this a leapord or hebrew moth?
in venice california what is she ?
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
Both the Leopard Moth and your species, the Painted Arachnis,
Arachnis picta, are in the Tiger Moth Family Arctiidae, so
it is an understandable mistake. The underwings are a lovely
salmon pink with gray spots. Adults fly in southern California
from late September to October, so your specimen is right
on time. They are attracted to lights.
Another Large Tolype
(09/20/2005) What is this moth
Have you seen this one before?
Wade Izzo
Hackettstown , NJ
Hi Wade,
We just posted another photo of the Large Tolype, Tolype velleda.
This is a relative of the Tent Caterpillars.
Squash
Vine Borer
(09/20/2005) Moth?
I found the moth in my back yard this summer and have surfed
the internet extensively looking for it but have not been
able to find it. What is it? The closest I can figure
is some sort of Sesiid. It was between 3/4 and 1 inch
long. Seen July 8 in my backyard in Dayton, OH.
Bill
Hi Bill,
The Squash Vine Borer, Melittia cucurbitae, is one of the
Sesiid Moths or Clearwing Moths known to mimic wasps. There
might be some confusion on the scientific name. We have also
seen it listed as Melittia satyriniformis in both our very
old Holland Guide and our Audubon Guide, but BugGuide
uses cucurbitae. We have an image of one flying, but your
photo shows it in the resting position.
Large Tolype
(09/19/2005) Moth ID?
Hi bugman...
here are 2 photos of the same moth. It looks a bit like Yosemite
Sam, with white hair and moustache. I found it on the side
of my garage, near Chicago, early this morning (9/19/05).
Thanks!
Jill
Hi Jill,
We had to do much searching on BugGuide
before we found your moth, the Large Tolype, Tolype velleda.
Here is an entertaining
link.
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