Subject: Bizarre moth mimicking crayfish
Location: Columbia, NJ
July 1, 2014 5:22 am
We saw this moth on our camper near the Delaware Water Gap, it looked odd, when it flew a short distance and landed it took on a completely different shape…a tiny crayfish! How does a moth evolve to mimick such a creature?
Signature: SeanK
Dear SeanK,
The illusion you describe is quite effective, and the outline of this moth does look like a Crayfish. We wish your image had more detail. Our best guess is possibly a Saddleback Caterpillar Moth, Acharia stimulea, which is also pictured on BugGuide.