Subject:  Two insects or one?
Geographic location of the bug:  Bend, Oregon
Date: 07/19/2021
Time: 12:00 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Seen in the evening, July 19, 2021, Bend, Oregon. Nudged it to see if it was two separate bugs but it didn’t separate.
How you want your letter signed:  Julie

Buck Moth we believe

Dear Julie,
This is a Moth but we can’t see enough detail to provide you with a definitive species (or family) identification, but we believe this may be a Buck Moth in the genus Hemileuca.  One highly variable species, the Elegant Sheep Moth, is pictured on the Moth PHotographers Group site.  It is also possible this might be a Tiger Moth in the subfamily Arctiinae.

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Subject:  ANTHERAEA OCULEA MOTH
Geographic location of the bug:  PAYSON, AZ
Date: 07/24/2021
Time: 04:38 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  I noticed red stripes along wings and other pictures have no red. Is this a male or female
How you want your letter signed:  SUSIE COOKE

Oculea Moth

Dear Susie,
Thanks for submitting your image of a male Oculea Moth or Western Polyphemus Moth.  According to BugGuide:  “Adults are also similar to A. polyphemus, but darker and with more markings around the eye spots. ‘Upperside of wings is tan, sometimes with a yellowish or reddish tint. Forewing margin is the same color as the basal area; submarginal line is black. Rings around the eyespots are orange, blue, and black. Underside has contrasting rust, brown, and white markings.’ – Butterflies and Moths of North America”

Thank you for the information! Love your site

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Subject:  Bug to identify
Geographic location of the bug:  Gettysburg, PA
Date: 06/17/2021
Time: 08:42 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Hi, Danny!!  Gordy found this bug on his window screen.  It looks prehistoric!  I hope you can tell us what it is!  Not a very good pic I know ;(
How you want your letter signed:  Kerry Morgan

Spotted Apatelodes

Kerry Joyce Morgan, how nice to hear from you.
This sure looks like a Spotted Apatelodes, Apatelodes torrefacta, a moth found in much of the eastern United States.  According to BugGuide it is:  “An odd-looking species, easily mistaken for a sphinx moth.”  I just booked a ticket and I will be in Campbell from late July until late August.  Stop by for a visit.  Say hi to your brother.

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Subject:  Large moth
Geographic location of the bug:  Colorado, Monument, close to the mountains
Date: 06/15/2021
Time: 04:22 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Dear Bugman, my friend found this moth resting on his window and I got to take some photos. I searched several archives of known moths in the area and I found similar moths but nothing that was quite right. Can you please identify this moth for me? The date is June 15th and the moth was found around 1pm. It has been very wet the past few weeks which has been followed by high 80 to mid 90 degree weather for the past three or four days.
How you want your letter signed:  BigMothus

Male Polyphemus Moth

Dear BigMothus,
This impressive creature is a male Polyphemus Moth.  When disturbed, it flashes its large eyespots, often frightening a potential predator with the possibility of getting eaten.

That’s amazing! I had heard of them but I had no idea I was in the presence of such a distinguished creature. Thank you for responding so quickly, not knowing was eating at me!

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Subject:  Brown Moth
Geographic location of the bug:  Hide-A_Way Hills, Hocking Cty, OH 43107
Date: 06/18/2020
Time: 08:39 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Found this by our front door, June 16, 2020.  Could not find the exact same one online.  What is it?
How you want your letter signed:  Jan

Tulip Tree Silkmoth

Dear Jan,
This looks to us like a male Tulip Tree Silkmoth, Callosamia angulifera, and it is pictured on BugGuide.  It is one of the Giant Silkmoths in the family Saturniidae.  Giant Silkmoths only live a few days, long enough to mate.  They do not feed as adults.

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