General Neko's Moth-Watching Thread

[Nekoban Ryo]

Finally ID'd that unidentified pink and yellow moth from the first post. It's a Stained Lophosis Moth, but sporting an unusual pale coloring. The pink bits are normally a medium-dark brown with a purply sheen. This must be a Shiny one!

 

[Nekoban Ryo]

There's something wrong with me, guys. Now I'm seeing Jirachi as a moth.

 

[Anime Psyclone]

Oh no. I better make a sprite of it!

 

[Nekoban Ryo]

Here are some carpet moths I saw recently:

Mottled Grey Carpet Moth with splashes of green, not present on all individuals

White-Ribboned Carpet Moth

Don't worry, they don't live in or eat your carpet! They get their names from their fringed edges and patterns, like you might see on a carpet.

It should also be noted that, even though some moths may appear to have fangs, the vast majority cannot bite. The only moths known to be capable of biting humans are some male moths of the Calyptra genus, only present in some areas of Eurasia, called vampire moths.

 

[Nekoban Ryo]

I made a friend a few nights ago, but wanted to get an ID before posting. He's a Close-Banded Yellowhorn. Not too flashy, but I love his fuzzy legs and long antennae!

 

[Nekoban Ryo]

I've known that some moths sleep on flowers during the day, but I think this was my first time finding one! This one's called a White Slant-Line. Look at those delicate colors and beautifully-angled wings! I almost missed it since it was blending-in with the white flower. Reminds me of wedding decorations.

 

[Nekoban Ryo]

Mournful Thyris, another example of a moth that's active during the day.

 

[Nekoban Ryo]

Not sure if Hellinsia elliottii or Hellinsia homodactylus, but it's a Plume Moth!

Plume moths resemble the letter T at rest, but their fanned-out feathery wings would make you think of birds. This one's wings are only partially unfolded, not fully in rest position. Do a Google search to see them in their full glory!

And here's a moth I photographed last year but didn't get an ID on until recently. It seems to be a Confused Eusarca.

This species comes in a variety of shades and colors, making it easy to confuse individuals for different species.

Don't forget to share your own moth stories. Moth Pokémon/Fakemon talk is fine too!

 

[Nekoban Ryo]

Despite having read in the past that they do drink, I was surprised to see that the Banded Tussock Moth (aka Pale Tiger Moth) that showed up tonight had a proboscis! I'd only ever seen them with their faces down, so I guess I forgot over time. Good to know that it's not one of the mouthless moths that are forced to starve to death. They fill their bodies with alkaloids by feeding on liquids of decaying plants, making them distasteful to predators.

I also noticed that two more Mini Bagworm cocoons had popped up, which may mean I've missed my chance to capture the caterpillars in action this year. Unfortunate, but I'll try to keep an eye on them to see if I can capture the adult moths when they emerge (assuming they haven't already).

 

[GrandPanacea]

I see those little bagworm husks all the time around my place. Really tiny little buggers. What's the end result look like?

 

[Nekoban Ryo]

I see those little bagworm husks all the time around my place. Really tiny little buggers. What's the end result look like?

Adults aren't nearly as interesting as the larvae. They're tiny, charcoal-colored moths with barely-visible white or grey veins and feathery antennae. I haven't seen any in-person, but here's an image from the Butterflies and Moths of North America website:

Spoiler

To be honest, I'm mainly wanting to find one so I can say I've captured a photo of a real-life Mothim (sort of). I'm still working on my Pokémon Trainer OC's team and have mostly convinced myself that he can only have Pokémon that I've "captured" the real-world equivalents to on film. (An Evergreen Bagworm Moth would be closer, but I haven't seen nearly as many of their cases.)

 

[GrandPanacea]

Adults aren't nearly as interesting as the larvae. They're tiny, charcoal-colored moths with barely-visible white or grey veins and feathery antennae. I haven't seen any in-person, but here's an image from the Butterflies and Moths of North America website:

Spoiler

To be honest, I'm mainly wanting to find one so I can say I've captured a photo of a real-life Mothim (sort of). I'm still working on my Pokémon Trainer OC's team and have mostly convinced myself that he can only have Pokémon that I've "captured" the real-world equivalents to on film. (An Evergreen Bagworm Moth would be closer, but I haven't seen nearly as many of their cases.)

Ahh! It may not be as visually striking as some of the others in this thread, but it's still rather nice looking. I like the antennae.

Good luck with your team catching!

 

[Nekoban Ryo]

Something inside me told me to check the yucca flowers. I had no idea that Yucca Moths were a thing! They're a type of fairy moth whose existence has been crucial to yucca plants for more than 40 million years as the plant's only pollinator. Caterpillars feed on the seeds (which are plentiful enough to be harmless), making the relationship mutually-beneficial.

Now I can't help but see Flabébé as a moth! Not so much its evolutions though. Maybe I'll try drawing a Yucca Flabébé sometime?

 

[Nekoban Ryo]

The Black-Waved Flannel Moth is adorable and fluffy, but the even-fluffier flannel moth caterpillars are venomous and can cause severe skin irritation. It's related to the Puss Moth, whose caterpillar is the most-venomous in the US and could land you in the hospital... or worse!

Both the Black-Waved Flannel Moth and Southern Flannel Moth are prone to playing dead when handled. Males have longer, feathery antennae that kind of make them look like tiny winged bunnies.

I don't know how common they are for you, but I've seen countless Banded Woolly Bear Caterpillars throughout my life. However, it wasn't until last year that I discovered what they turned into after missing a photo of one. The colors of the adult Isabella Tiger Moth's wings can vary from light beige, to yellow, to vibrant orange. Hind-wings may be darker than the fore-wings in some individuals, and sometimes pinkish. Black wing spots may be pronounced, greyish, or barely-visible.

Banded Woolly Bear Caterpillars don't sting, but the fragile hairs may still break-off into one's skin and cause some irritation.

I also spied another Rosy Maple Moth. I can't help but take a pic every time I see one!

 

[Nekoban Ryo]

Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth

Caterpillars feed mostly on maple leaves, as the name suggests. The golden-brown bands on this moth's shiny white wings make it quite a pretty sight to behold, but the origin of its scientific name might leave you feeling a bit... grossed-out.

 

[Nekoban Ryo]

Finally found a male Black-Waved Flannel Moth. They're adorable. <3

I also found these guys:

Spoiler

Satin Moth. The white fuzz next to her is a nest (if you look close, you can see little eggs under it). EDIT: It's actually a female Fall Webworm.

American Ermine Moth. Now I kind of want to draw an ermine with moth wings. xD

Dagger Moth. They're called Daggers because the dark spots on their wings are shaped somewhat like daggers... and their caterpillars sting.

Dimorphic Tosale Moth. What a strange lil' guy!

Dark-Banded Geometer. Looks kind of sinister with that jagged pattern and dark palette.

Brown Panopoda Moth. Almost looks like some kind of runic symbol on its wings.

Spotted Thyris? Lighting is weird because the moth was in an awkward spot.

 

[Nekoban Ryo]

My first Painted Lichen Moth. They're thought to mimic fireflies, which are toxic to eat. If their false warning colors don't do the trick, they're capable of emitting high-frequency sound-waves to drive-off predators. The diet of their caterpillars includes lichen, algae and moss that grow on trees.

On an unrelated note, I wonder if it's a coincidence that Tegeticula yucca moths, a type of fairy moth, are white and spotted while Togetic, a Fairy-Type who bears a similar name and is also white and spotted, has a head shaped somewhat like a yucca flower?

- - -

EDIT: I think I posted the neon-yellow caterpillar here last year, but here's the adult Spotted Apatelodes. Not sure if its left wing is damaged, malformed, or if it just hasn't completely pumped-up yet. Hopefully the latter.

EDIT 2: Looks like I hadn't posted the caterpillar! Let me dig that back up...

 

[Nekoban Ryo]

Something sadly went wrong while trying to pupate/hibernate that Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar from last year (I think a parasitic wasp got to it when I moved it back outside for the winter), but I was finally visited by my first adult this morning!

 

[Nekoban Ryo]

Another Spotted Apatelodes showed up last night/this morning, so I tried to get a better pic.

Much better, imo. I like how they have a little fold in their hindwings for the forewings to slide into when at rest. Interestingly, their hindwing pattern is actually reverse of most moths — it's on the underside of the wing instead of the top.

It sort of reminds me of Masquerain in a way. Masquerain's Japanese name (Amemoth) insinuates that it's based on a moth, but it may be based on lanternflies (planthoppers that may resemble moths).

 

[Nekoban Ryo]

This one's fairly well-known, but it's funny that an Io Moth coincidentally popped-up just after talking about a Pokémon with eye-spots.

Male Io Moths tend to be bright and yellow with bushy antennae while females like this one are darker and reddish-brown with simple antennae. It's usually much easier to see the forewing pattern on males. I posted the moth's mossy green, stinging caterpillar last year (post #15).

- - -

UPDATE: Finally updated the first post to include every adult moth I've shared in the thread. That looks like 56 different species so far.