A particularly attractive moth

[DCWilson]

Even for the lounge, this is kind of far off the beaten path.

Nevertheless...

This is a Ctenuchid moth. Mostly they are found east of the Rockies under the name Virginia Ctenuchid Moth, but I see them every summer in Southern California. Their body is completely covered with short iridiscent blue velvet of which you can see only a little here. They have bright red heads and shoulders. The smoky wings, which vary from almost black to the kind of tan fields you see here, have cream colored edges -- almost white. I think of them as Patriotic Moths for obvious reasons. They are also kind of like Superman Moths, but with a subtler cape and without the chest letter. They don't seem to be common enough to have a better name than something you have to be a professional mothologist to pronounce.

If it weren't for hummingbird moths and giant sphinx moths, this would be my favorite moth.

 

[jkc]

So, what's it natural history? It must be associated with some particular plant or plants, serving as a species-specific pollinator, or etc. Enquiring minds want to know...

 

[DCWilson]

I don't see it on plants around here. It is usually flying around the exterior of my house (and inside when I leave the doors open). It alights on fence-posts, windows, shingles and other non-living surfaces. According to insect websites, it likes flowering plants. It appears to be a generalist and does not specialize in a particular plant species, though I imagine it may have a short list of preferences. In other parts of the US they are found in meadows, and in Virginia they appear to like dogbane, whatever that is.

 

[Bob R]

Speaking of hummingbird moths. My wife thought there was a hummingbird molesting her flowers the other night. I knew it was a moth but she had never seen one, so I attempted to get a picture of it for her. This is we got, a White-lined sphinx hummingbird moth.

bob

 

[g_conway]

Nice pics.

 

[labworm]

Indeed very nice photos, I love seeing things I have not seen before. Both photos, mother nature sure provides some beautiful colors. Thanks to both of you for posting the pics.

 

[TACC1]

Thanks for the short class on moths. Those are beautiful.
TACC1

 

[LVSteve]

The White Lined Sphinx moth can sometimes occur in plague like numbers. A few years ago hordes of them could be seen in the beam of the light atop the Luxor hotel in Vegas. Very apt.

Another neat moth to find is the huge Black Witch that sometimes gets blown into the US from the tropics. Here is one that turned up at my late mother-in-law's house in 2003. From the size of the screen door mesh I would estimate its wingspan as at least 4.5-5 inches.

 

[Bob R]

Steve,

That moth looks like it has been through the wars.

A couple of years ago I was outside and noticed a couple of moths doing the nasty. I thought, OK, I will finally be a grandfather!

It turns out they were a couple of Polyphemus moths. The female is the larger, darker one and the male is kind of drab in comparison. The way to tell them apart is the antenna. The male has the plumose antenna (bushy) and the female is just a plain antenna. The male uses his antenna to sniff out the phermones the female releases so he needs all of the antenna he can get!

OK, that's it for my moths.

DCWilson, thanks for starting an interesting thread.

bob

 

[beach elvis]

Beautiful pics, folks! I love this stuff to death.
Since moving out to the bush, I've been able to spend more time outdoors than I ever thought I'd get the opportunity.
And one of things I've noticed is that people out here could dang near sell tickets to a seat near their porch lights. The very first week I moved here, I walked out the front door after dark and an Io moth was spread out under my porch light that seemed (at the time) to be 'bout as big as a stop sign. Majestic!

Two occasions this past summer that a moth has landed on my finger! First was the most beautiful, fragile shade of light green that I've ever seen. Second was a dusky gray one. My wife took pics of that one. My son had a pink and yellow salt-water-taffy looking one land on his chest.

I was really curious about this phenomenon until I noticed that our big barn light must look like it says, "Eat At Joe's" to a bat. And we're Joe's, judging by the nearby moths that get overtaken and munched by the bats out on nightshift. Seems like the moths figure a bat wouldn't get too close to such a big, hairy, smelly thing like me so I'm a safe bet to perch on 'til the heat's off. Fascinating stuff!

 

[badguybuster]

Its like National Geographic in here.

 

[Cyrano]

When I was a boy in Connecticut, we would occasionally see Luna moths at night. Lovely things, and large. Wish I had a picture of one to show.

 

[Rule3]

Here are some pics (not mine) of the Polka Dot Moth. They are found anywhere there are Oleander Plants. The sap of the plant is poisonous , but the flowers are very pretty. The larval or caterpillar stage is also poisonous.
and if you touch one the black spines will sting you badly!. They have no natural enemies as the birds will not eat them.

The Oleander plant is used a lot of landscape use. The caterpillars can defoliate a mature plant very quickly.

Butterflies Digital Wildlife Florida Nature Photography

 

[handejector]

A particularly attractive moth

I'm not attracted to moths.
I'm attracted to flames.


Seriously, it is a beautiful creature. Can't help it- I've loved looking at bugs all my life.

 

[DCWilson]

Here are some pics (not mine) of the Polka Dot Moth. They are found anywhere there are Oleander Plants. The sap of the plant is poisonous , but the flowers are very pretty. The larval or caterpillar stage is also poisonous.
and if you touch one the black spines will sting you badly!. They have no natural enemies as the birds will not eat them.

The Oleander plant is used a lot of landscape use. The caterpillars can defoliate a mature plant very quickly.

Butterflies Digital Wildlife Florida Nature Photography

If I ever saw one of those, it would immediately be in the running for my new favorite moth.

I have a lot of oleander around here. Can you send me some larvae?

Lee, I know what you mean. I've also been a bug guy since I was three years old. Some I have seen only once and would love to see again. There are days when the only thing that keeps me going is the hope of an interesting new beetle.

Or, to be fair to the main purpose of this forum, another prewar Kit Gun.

 

[vytoland]

once in awhile i see imperial moths in the back yard garden. I've always been very interested in butterflies, moths and small amphibians.

 

[Rule3]

If I ever saw one of those, it would immediately be in the running for my new favorite moth.

I have a lot of oleander around here. Can you send me some larvae?

Lee, I know what you mean. I've also been a bug guy since I was three years old. Some I have seen only once and would love to see again. There are days when the only thing that keeps me going is the hope of an interesting new beetle.

Or, to be fair to the main purpose of this forum, another prewar Kit Gun.

Believe me, you don not want them. I am surprised you do not have them in Cali??

When we first moved into our home there was one plant by the back porch. Yep a Oleander. The screen would be covered with caterpillars and the leaves all chewed up. We had a small child then and the sap is poison if eaten or acts like poison ivy on the skin, so that bush was history!.

 

[Maximumbob54]

I have no idea what he is but I saw him on the side of a building and he didn't take off when I got close enough for a couple of crummy cell phone pics:

If anyone knows what he is I would love to know.

 

[GF]

Oh come on guys!

You gotta' take pictures of bugs with guns... like those "Food with Protection" or "Pets with Protection" threads!

GF

 

[Bob R]

The green one is a Luna Moth.

Actias luna - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

bob