General Neko's Moth-Watching Thread

[Nekoban Ryo]

It's been a while since I've gotten anything so flashy. Introducing... the Gold Moth! I also got a later-instar Virginia Creeper Hornworm (early instar on previous page).

Variable Oakleaf Caterpillar

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The markings on these caterpillars are highly variable!

Black-Banded Owlet

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Black-Barred Brown

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This one wasn't a newbie, but it looks like I neglected to add the Baltimore Snout to the list.

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White form of the Spotted Apatelodes (dragon moth) caterpillar. Look at those cute red feet!

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[Nekoban Ryo]

Green Cutworm Moth

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Ragweed Flower Moth

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Diasemiodes janassialis

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Julia's Dicymolomia Moth

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It's cute, but I can't help but have a small grudge against this species since they prey on bagworms.

Better pic of a later-instar Black-Waved Flannel Moth caterpillar

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If you see one of these, don't pet it—those hairs are laced with venom!

Hibiscus Leaf Caterpillar Moth

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[Merovingian]

@Nekoban Ryo

Got one for ya!

https://imgur.com/a/4Kb0meE

Biggest moth I’ve ever seen. Never seen anything like this

 

[Nekoban Ryo]

@Nekoban Ryo

Got one for ya!

https://imgur.com/a/4Kb0meE

Biggest moth I’ve ever seen. Never seen anything like this

That's a Luna, one of the giant silkmoths. Looks like it's had a rough time!

 

[Merovingian]

Yeah, our part of Texas is super unforgiving lately. Thought it’d be cool to show the kids, then immediately remembered a moth thread that existed here. Had to show it and ask what it was!

I need to look over the whole thread again, it’s been quite a while and always a fun read.

Thanks for the quick response!

 

[Nekoban Ryo]

A couple newbies: a Tobacco Budworm Moth (a greenie!) and a Yellow-Necked Caterpillar

Yeah, our part of Texas is super unforgiving lately. Thought it’d be cool to show the kids, then immediately remembered a moth thread that existed here. Had to show it and ask what it was!

I need to look over the whole thread again, it’s been quite a while and always a fun read.

Thanks for the quick response!

NP! I hope you learn something!

 

[Nekoban Ryo]

Black Bit Moth showing some subtle colorful highlights and a later instar Snowberry Clearwing caterpillar/hornworm:

 

[Nekoban Ryo]

A new slug caterpillar! Spiny Oak-Slug, one of the many stinging slug caterpillars.

I also reorganized the main list on the first page and plan to add more caterpillars to it later. I was thinking about changing the spoilers to links to fit the entire list in one post (assuming posts don't have a link limit) and make the page load faster, though. What do you think? It might also fix the broken image problems.

 

[Nekoban Ryo]

Finally!

Last week I found my first Evergreen Bagworm case of the year but, because it seemed so bare, I wondered if it might've been left over from last year. Looks like it was from this year after all—I found a male visiting it this evening! I've been wanting to get a photo of one for a while.

With its charcoal coloring and clear wings, the Evergreen Bagworm Moth almost looks more like a hairy fly than a moth. As a caterpillar, it carries with it a case—or "bag"—of silk and plant debris that it uses as camouflage. The bag may resemble a pine cone of sorts. The caterpillar eventually pupates inside this bag, but will only emerge if male. Males have a long, accordion-like abdomen used for reaching into the cases of flightless, worm-like females for mating.

A few more recent finds: Brown Angle Shades, Brown-Hooded Owlet caterpillar, and Boxwood Leaftier Moth

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[Nekoban Ryo]

Remember that Gold Moth from post #142? Here's its caterpillar!

And here's a newbie: the Trumpet Vine Moth. What a silhouette!

I also just finished replacing the spoilered images on the first page with links. Not only does everything fit in the first post now, but it should make page-loading faster and solve the issue with broken images. (Again, you can click on my Facebook album link above the list for easier browsing.)

 

[Nekoban Ryo]

Abdominal shot of a Giant Leopard Moth from back in June. I love that flash of blue! <3

A couple new additions from this fall (probably the last of the year):

Green Cutworm Moth (less common form)

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Bent-Line Dart

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[Nekoban Ryo]

We got an ice moth Pokémon, guys! I loves me some Ice-types and (obviously) moths.

Snom is clearly a Jewel Slug Caterpillar, but Frosmoth looks more like an Indian Moon Moth with translucent wings (perhaps hearkening to clearwing moths). Its Chinese name suggests that it may also draw inspiration from flannel moths.

EDIT: Of course, I had to get a Shiny one!

It's a greenie! I named her Belle in reference to my favorite geometer moth, the Pale Beauty.

 

[Nekoban Ryo]

Not a newbie, but the "not butterfles" are at it again!

Grapevine Epimenis Moth

And here are a couple of newbies, Garman's Quaker and what I believe is one of the Pseudexentera moths:

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[Nekoban Ryo]

The Scribbler!

Yellow-Headed Looper Moth

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Red-Banded Leafroller Moth

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Red-Winged Sallow

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Filigreed Chimoptesis

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One of the Apantesis tiger moth caterpillars (such as the Harnessed Tiger Moth)

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[Nekoban Ryo]

The Easter Bunny brought me a newbie! Symmerista sp. (possibly the Red-Humped Oakworm Moth)

 

[Nekoban Ryo]

I didn't know that there was Light Marathyssa but, having already seen the Dark Marathyssa, that's exactly what I thought when I spotted this one! Kind of looks like a tiny sphinx moth with that upturned abdomen.

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And my first actual sphinx moth of 2020, the Lettered Sphinx!

 

[Nekoban Ryo]

Don't see blue moths too often!

Larvae of the small, metallic Maple Leafcutter Moth wear a case constructed of two circular leaf bits sewn together with silk, somewhat resembling a clam.

 

[Nekoban Ryo]

Sweet! Two very cool newbies!

Cherry Scallop Shell Moth

Eyed Paectes Moth

 

[Nekoban Ryo]

Another fairy!

Ridings' Fairy Moth

 

[Dravinator]

These are all so beautiful! You have a true knack for nature photography! I love looking at all these moths in their perfect lighting and depth of field, so much so that I might even get out and snap a few pictures! Amazing job!