A young friend of mine has become interested in moths, so I’ve been paying more attention to them.
It isn’t easy though, because moths are usually active at night.
Plus, many of them are tiny. Can you even tell this is a moth?
Studying moths is definitely challenging!
Monday’s post was all about the butterflies at Butterfly Wonderland, but there were some moths, too.
The atlas moth, Attacus atlas, is known for having the largest wing area of any insect. Although commonly seen in butterfly houses, this moth is from Asia.
When I first spotted this moth I thought for an instant it was an odd-looking luna moth. Instead it is Argema mimosae, the African moon moth. It is from eastern and southern Africa.
You can see a photograph of the African moon moth larvae and atlas moth larvae at Flickr. It is hard to tell if the moon moth larvae are right side up or not.
It is so amazing to be able to see moths and butterflies from around the world in one place. Are you ready for a trip to a butterfly exhibit of your own? The Butterfly Website has a list of butterfly exhibits worldwide.
Where is your favorite butterfly exhibit?
Not far from where I found yesterday’s pignut hickory tree, I found this hairy caterpillar.
Turns out it isn’t a coincidence to find it there, because this is a hickory tussock moth caterpillar, Lophocampa caryae. The larvae feed on the leaves of hickories, as well as a number of other deciduous trees and some shrubs.
You might wonder which end is which.
The head is black, but it is hard to tell unless you get close.
Although the hickory tussock caterpillar looks adorable, it is best not to get close enough to touch one. Contact with the hairs of one of these caterpillars can cause rashes and allergic reactions.
Note that white and black is a warning coloration, meaning stay away, just like yellow and black (wasps), or red and black (black widow spiders and snakes). Think about a black and white skunk, which is definitely well defended!
This caterpillar was on the ground, likely looking for a place to pupate. What does this caterpillar turn into after spinning a cocoon in the leaf litter and spending the winter there?
In the spring it turns into a hickory tussock moth, of course. Talk about spring finery!
For more information, see Roberta Gibson Writes.
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