Amazing Nature
  • Home
  • About
  • Birds
  • INSECTS
    • CICADAS!
    • Costa Rica Insects
    • Texas Insects
    • Insect Defense >
      • Camouflage
      • Warning Colors
      • Mimicry
      • Eyespots
      • Posture Reversal
      • Poisonous Caterpillars
      • Insect Defense is Not Perfect
    • INSECT METAMORPHOSIS: COMPLETE
    • INSECT METAMORPHOSIS: INCOMPLETE
  • Land, Sea, & Sky
  • Contact
  • TOTALLY COOL!
    • BEETLES
    • MOTHS
Picture
Hummingbird Clearwing; Hemaris thysbe (Wheaton, Maryland)

MOTHS

​
​When you think of moths, you may think, DULL, DULL, DULL.  But, that is so often not true. While many moths are dull and drab, many are truly spectacular. The ones I have chosen here are gorgeous (a new scientific term!). They have intricate patterns, interesting shapes, a multitude of colors – beautiful!  And, except for one exception -- the Atlas Moth from Asia -- these moths are all found in the United States. 
 
Here’s a bit of information about moths:
​Moths are members of the Lepidoptera order which also includes butterflies. There are about 160,00 moth species (only 20,000 butterfly species).  You can usually tell them apart from butterflies because most moths are nocturnal (fly at night), have thicker, hairier bodies, don’t have a club at the end of their antennae, and rest with their wings spread. You will notice that males have very feathery antennae. These antennae can detect the pheromones (sex hormones) that female moths emit to attract males to mate. A male can detect one molecule of a pheromone from miles away.
​
SPHINX MOTHS

​
Hummingbird Clearwings ​(see photo above) hover over flowers sipping nectar exactly like hummingbirds.  In fact, you can easily be fooled into thinking you are seeing a hummingbird and not an insect.
Picture
Banded Sphinx Moth, Eumorpha Fasciatus, (Resaca de la Palma, Brownsville, TX)
Picture
Streaked Sphinx Moth, Protambulyx strigilis (Key Largo, Florida)

GIANT SILK MOTHS

The following 5 moths are Giant Silk Moths. They spin cocoons of silk which are unraveled and the strands are spun into fabric. Raising silk worms to produce silk has been practiced for centuries. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Chinese were producing silk as early as 3500 BCE. Adults (moths) lack mouth parts so they cannot eat. They live only a few weeks with the sole purpose of finding a mate, mating, and, for the female, to lay eggs.

This Atlas Moth, Attacus atlas, is the only exotic moth I have included. I photographed it in Maryland -- in the Flights of Fancy Butterfly Exhibit at Brookside Gardens, but normally they are found in Asia. With a wingspan of up to 12 inches, it is one of the largest moths in the world.
Picture
Atlas moth, Attacus atlas
Picture
Cecropia Moths, Hyalophora cecropia, are the largest moths in North America with a 5 - 6 inch wingspan.
Picture
Luna MOTH, Actias luna (Senaca, Maryland)
Picture
Polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus (C & O Canal, Maryland)
Picture
Polyphemus Moth, Antheraea polyphemus (Ft. Davis, Texas)
Picture
Calleta Silk Moth, Eupackardia calleta, has a wingspan ranging from 3- 4 inches but can exceed 5 inches. Judging from the size of her abdomen, this female appears to have an abdomen full of eggs. (LBJ Wildflower Center, (Austin, Texas)

TIGER MOTHS

The Following 5 moths are all Tiger Moths (even the Leopard Moth!) Although some are striped like tigers, their subfamily name (Arctiinae) is probably derived from Greek arctos which means bear. Bear is because the caterpillars are hairy and called wooley bears.
Picture
Harnessed Tiger Moth, Apantesis phalerata (Bethesda, Maryland)
Picture
8 Clymene Moth, Haploa clymene (C & O Canal, Maryland)
Picture
Giant Leopard Moth, Hypercompe scribonia. Despite being called a Giant Leopard Moth, this is a tiger moth! (UFL, Gainesville, Florida)
Picture
Santa ana Tussock Moth, Lophocampa annulosa (Resaca de la Palma, Brownsville, Texas)
Picture
Virginia White Tiger Moth, Spilosoma virginica (Maryland)

​OTHER MOTHS
​

Picture
Eight-spotted Forester Moth, Alypia octomaculata (LBJ Wildflower Center, Austin, Texas)
Picture
Moonseed Moth, Plusiodonta compressipalpis (National Butterfly Center, Mission, Texas)
Picture
Moonseed Moth, Plusiodonta compressipalpis (National Butterfly Center, Mission, Texas)
Picture
Kimball's Palpita Moth, Diaphania costata (National Butterfly Center, Mission, Texas)
Picture
Beautiful Wood-nymph, Eudryas grata, (C & O Canal, Seneca, Maryland)
Picture
Ailanthus Webworm Moth, Ateva aurea, (Maryland)
Picture
Texas Moth Wasp, Horama panthalon, (National Butterfly Center, Mission TX)
Picture
Lacinipolia, laudabilis, Bethesda, Maryland
All photographs on amazingnature-nancygoor..com are copyrighted. 
​If you wish to use or purchase any photographs, please contact Nancy or Ron Goor at ron.nancygoor@gmail.com.
  • Home
  • About
  • Birds
  • INSECTS
    • CICADAS!
    • Costa Rica Insects
    • Texas Insects
    • Insect Defense >
      • Camouflage
      • Warning Colors
      • Mimicry
      • Eyespots
      • Posture Reversal
      • Poisonous Caterpillars
      • Insect Defense is Not Perfect
    • INSECT METAMORPHOSIS: COMPLETE
    • INSECT METAMORPHOSIS: INCOMPLETE
  • Land, Sea, & Sky
  • Contact
  • TOTALLY COOL!
    • BEETLES
    • MOTHS