General Neko's Moth-Watching Thread

Got a Nessus Sphinx today! I think I had one of these last year too but wasn't able to get any pics. This time I at least managed a couple, but I wish they were clearer... It took-off just as soon as I had focused in for the perfect shot. Dx

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It almost looks like a wasp crossed with a hummingbird when visiting flowers for nectar.
 
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New moths two days in a row, and it isn't even summer! :0

Eight-Spotted Forester. Check out those fuzzy orange legs!

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I found this strange little guy last June, but I never posted it since the front half of the caterpillar was out-of-focus. Luckily, by scaling it down and sharpening the front half, I was able to make it somewhat presentable. I think it's a Horned Spanworm. The horns aren't toxic, but they can stretch 2x in length if the caterpillar is startled!

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I've yet to get an adult, but they're pretty neat too (especially the darker-shaded ones).

I also found these when I was going through some older photos. I was under the impression that they were two different species, but it turns out that they were both different stages of the Yellow-Striped Armyworm! The adult is #94 on my list.

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Bonus: MOTH FACE!
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Some more newbies!

Sigela brauneata

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White Spring Moth

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American Lappet Moth

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And here's why the Rosy Maple Moth evolved so beautifully. Under certain conditions, maple seeds (samaras, helicopters, or whirlybirds) turn pink!

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Kicking off May with my first Luna Moth of 2019 and a pinkish-hued Walnut Sphinx!

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A few more things from over the past week:

Fervid Plagodis
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Splendid Palpita
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Half-Wing Moth Caterpillar
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It started gnawing my finger and I think it actually managed to get a tiny piece of skin! :eek:

Eastern Tent Caterpillar
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EDIT: Got an Unspotted Looper (aka Copper Looper) tonight!

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That Luna Moth looks S T U N N I N G with those green and purple hues! Was he a difficult one to find with such good camofluage?
 
bbninjas said:
That Luna Moth looks S T U N N I N G with those green and purple hues! Was he a difficult one to find with such good camofluage?
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She (male Lunas have bushier antennae) was on the side of the house, so she was pretty easy to spot once I turned her direction.

I think it was last year or year before last that I barely caught a glimpse of Lunas in a tree thanks to their tails. I think I deleted the pic because it was blurrier than I'd like (photos over 5x zoom don't tend to take well without a tripod), but their green was a perfect match on the leaves! (I've got a tripod, but I never take it with me on my walks.)
 
Maple Looper
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White-Blotched Heterocampa
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Eyed Baileya
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Green Leuconycta (aka Green Owlet)
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Forest Tent Caterpillar
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American Copper Underwing Caterpillar
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I've updated my Facebook album in the first post to include moth caterpillars in addition to adult moths.
 
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First bagworm of the year (another Mini Bagworm) and got a double high five from an Eight-Spotted Forester!

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And here's something new: a Marbled-Green Leuconycta. Unfortunately, landing close to the light skewed the colors a bit. (I tried to fix it via White Balance and Color Correction, but it still seemed more striking in-person.)

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Moth activity is picking back up!

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Doubleday's Notocelia Moth
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Yellow-Spotted Webworm Moth
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Decorated Owlet
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Jeweled Tailed Slug Moth
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Double-Toothed Prominent aka Base-Streaked Prominent
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Coleophora sp, a casebearer moth
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Unadorned Carpet Moth
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Adoxophyes furcatana
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Stained Lophosis (female)
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Male is #15 on the first post

Dimorphic Macalla Moth
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Yellow-Shouldered Slug Moth
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I think this is a dark example of a Tufted Thyatirine
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Yellow-Collared Slug Moth
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Horned Spanworm Moth (male)
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Caterpillar in post #125

Packard's Wave
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Eastern Tent Caterpillar Moth
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Caterpillar in post #127
 
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When I posted my previous Virginia Creeper Sphinx, I mentioned that I wanted to find a green one.

Well, it happened.

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Not the boldest green they can be, but I'll happily take it!

Genista Broom Moth
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I unfortunately didn't capture them here, but this species has yellow hindwings.

Gray-Patched Prominent
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Dark Marathyssa Moth
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Shagreened Slug Moth
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Hollow-Spotted Blepharomastix Moth
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Diminutive Wave Moth
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Common Spring Moth
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Yellow-Fringed Dolichomia Moth
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Cream-Edged Dichomeris Moth
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I also got another Dot-Lined White "poodle moth." I found a freshly-eclosed one last year, but this is the first time I've found one at my porchlight. Nice to see those antennae and spread wings!

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EDIT: And my first male Io Moth!

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I found this guy a little over a week ago: a Grape Plume Moth. Probably my favorite plume moth so far! I normally just get the solid white or brown ones.

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More stuff:

Milkweed Tussock/Tiger Moth
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Drab with closed wings, but it has a bright orange, spotted abdomen like most tiger moths. Its caterpillar is much more interesting.

Bristly Cutwom Moth
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Common yellow form of the Basswood Leaffolder Moth (the one I'd previously posted was white)
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Granite Angle Moth, or just Granite Moth
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Waterlily Leafcutter Moth
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Large Maple Spanworm Moth (lightly-marked)
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A more detailed example of the highly variable One-Spotted Variant
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Supposedly the "greener form" of the Colorful Zale (same moth, different lighting angles)
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Sorghum Webworm Moth
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The "horns" on its wings are actually tufts of scales.

American Idia
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Small Mossy Glyph
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Eight-Spotted Forester caterpillar
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Adult is #163 on the first page.

EDIT: Over 200 species!
 
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This past week wasn't too shabby! I got three of my favorites: the Rosy Maple Moth, Giant Leopard Moth, and Smaller Parasa—my first time getting any of them this year. I also got some newbies, but I'll wait to post those another time.

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And so begins National Moth Week 2019! Hopefully I'll have better luck this year than last year.

Here are some of those newbies I mentioned in my last post and a few I've gotten since:

Small Necklace Moth
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It gets its name from the series of white dots that resemble a pearl necklace. Its wings have an iridescence.

Elder Shoot Borer
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Pink-Masked Pyralid Moth
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This moth has a very subtle pinkish sheen.

Cross-Lined Wave
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Hubner's Pero Moth
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They come in various shades of brown. The purple highlights are more noticeable on darker individuals.

Stinging Rose Caterpillar Moth
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A close relative and near lookalike of the Smaller Parasa Moth. Their caterpillars, however, look vastly different!

Snowberry Clearwing
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Also known as the Bumblebee Moth. One of the "hummingbird moths."

Early instar caterpillar
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Yellow-Vested Moth
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Scallop Moth
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Oval-Based Prominent
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Large Mossy Glyph
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And here I go again trying to turn Pokémon into moths: Theory: Dunsparce is a MOTH!?
 
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Not a huge turnout this National Moth Week, but I did get a few newbies!

The Saddleback Caterpillar Moth isn't as well-known as its infamous caterpillar.
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Early instar Virginia Creeper Sphinx caterpillar. Its horn is huge compared to its body, but it'll grow into it. (Hornworms don't sting, btw).
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Adult at the top of post #135

The Pearly Wood-Nymph resembles the related Beautiful Wood-Nymph, but has a scalloped design.
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A female Oak Besma Moth. Males are more heavily-marked.
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And, while not newbies, I got a pic of a Large Lace-Border in its natural environment and a clearer pic of a Skiff Moth.

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Far out! How long is that horn on the Virginia Creeper Sphinx caterpillar? It's massive!
 
bbninjas said:
Far out! How long is that horn on the Virginia Creeper Sphinx caterpillar? It's massive!
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I didn't measure it, but I'd guess just under 1cm based on full-size hornworms. The horn on this one only looks massive since the caterpillar is so young. The caterpillar will grow, but the horn will remain about the same length.
 
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Just some small guys:

Olive-Shaded Bird-Dropping Moth
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Pale Gray Bird-Dropping Moth or Schlaeger's Fruitworm Moth (impossible to distinguish by photos)
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Labyrinth Moth
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Yellow-Winged Oak Leafroller Moth
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