Subject: moth & eggs identification!
Location: bellingham, washington, usa
May 30, 2016 3:11 pm
hi! i found this moth laying eggs in my dorm building today. i live in bellingham, washington. i want to know what kind she is so that i can put her eggs somewhere safe where they’ll find something to eat- i know some moths only eat certain plants. please write back soon, i love moths and i want these babies to grow up safely. thank you!
Signature: tessa f.
Dear Tessa,
Eggs can be very difficult to identify, so having images of the female insect laying the eggs is one way to ensure the identity of the eggs. This moth is an Omnivorous Looper, Sabulodes aegrotata, a species found in the western states. Here is a BugGuide image for verification. According to BugGuide: “The larvae feed on a large variety of herbacious and woody broad-leaved angiosperms. Plants in 27 familes have been reported as hosts, and the species’ feeding occasionally causes damage to to orchard trees such as avocado, citrus, and walnuts.” Many moths that are general feeders do not concern themselves with laying eggs on an actual host plant as the young can forage once they hatch. Because we will be away from the office for a spell in June, we are postdating your submissions as well as other postings to go live during our absence.
