Subject: Moth
Geographic location of the bug: McAllen Texas
Date: 05/08/2019
Time: 11:43 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Identify
How you want your letter signed: Name
Black Witch
Dear Name,
This is a female Black Witch, a moth that migrates North from neotropical Mexico each year, sometimes flying as far as Canada. This is a very early sighting, and this might be due to unseasonal rain patterns we have been experiencing this year.
Subject: Moth on Maya Beach
Geographic location of the bug: Belize Ocean Club Resort, Maya Beach, Stann Creek, Belize
Date: 02/08/2019
Time: 02:01 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Found this large moth on the dock.
How you want your letter signed: Brent
Black Witch
Dear Brent,
This is just about the most detailed image of a female tropical Black Witch that we have ever posted to our site. These large moths are capable of flying great distances, sometimes 1000s of miles, even reaching Canada.
Detail of the wing of a Black Witch
Subject: Huge moth
Geographic location of the bug: Fort Collins, CO
Date: 07/12/2018
Time: 03:56 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Saw this last night putting out the dog around 1:30 am. Never seen one that big ever. Black Witch??
How you want your letter signed: Mark
Black Witch
Dear Mark,
This is indeed a male Black Witch. According to BugGuide: “The northward June migration out of Mexico coincides with Mexico’s rainy season which typically starts in early June and lasts through October.”
Subject: Big brown winged bug
Geographic location of the bug: Pearland, TX
Date: 09/13/2017
Time: 05:02 PM EDT
Wow–big wing span spread on my screened window.
How you want your letter signed: Anyway you want to.
Black Witch
This is a very worn Black Witch Moth, a species that often flies North from Mexico each year. Some individuals have been reported as far north as Canada.
Subject: Large dark moth
Location: Deerhorn Valley Jamul Ca
July 28, 2017 7:36 pm
Look at this beast! We live in eastern Dan Diego County in oak woodland/chaparral. This beauty was found by my daughter right outside our door. If it were on an oak tree I’m sure I would have missed it entirely.
Signature: Nira
Male Black Witch Moth
Dear Nira,
This impressive creature is a male Black Witch Moth, a species found in Mexico. For some unexplained reason, monsoon season in Mexico causes large numbers of Black Witch Moths to fly north, and individuals have bee reported as far north as Canada.
Thank you so very much! I have now looked it up and see that folk lore says I will win the lottery or die. Hmmm. I choose the lottery. I will let you know if fortune or disaster comes my way 😉 Either way it is fun to know what it is. Thank you again!
Nira
Subject: Black witch?
Location: Casper, Wyoming
July 14, 2017 12:13 am
Found this next to my front door, it looks s a black witch moth?
Signature: Thank you, Stacy
Male Black Witch
Dear Stacy,
This is indeed a male Black Witch moth. This is a neotropical species that breeds as far north as Mexico, but for some inexplicable reason, Black Witch Moths have been reported as far back as the 19th Century to fly north as far as Canada. The damaged upper left wing causes us to fantasize that your individual might be this very Black Witch, reported from Denver on June 27, that just reached Wyoming.
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