Moth Week
This week I caught my first glimpse of a stunning, lime green Luna moth. It was fluttering in the dim evening light along the dark edge of the woods framing our back yard. Pale and nearly translucent with a five inch wingspan, this ghost-like member of the silk moth family evokes a hidden world of forest creatures.
I was just dying to see one up close. By a happy turn of events, I’ve seen not one, but many of them this week! Some hung out on our screens for days.
Silk moth tails often resemble decorative streamers trailing behind a kite. This trait evolved not only to attract mates but to deter bats – important for survival when you are a night flyer!
Kathy’s nocturnal sewing habit means bright lights are on at night, which has the happy unintended consequence of attracting moths to the screens and window panes. The problem was that she was the only one seeing them. I was definitely frustrated to miss this parade of moth species simply because I can’t stay up late enough.
In desperation, I suggested leaving the lights on all night – perhaps the moths would still be there at dawn when I get up. It worked! Here a Luna moth gripping the glass reveals a fuzzy, plump insect underneath the ethereal beauty of the wings and tail.
A Hickory Tussock moth also appeared out of the darkness, looking like a curious little alien peering into the sewing room. Below the moth is on the left, and the caterpillar from last summer is on the right. You can see the facial resemblance!
Other moths new to the garden are pictured below – a Little Emerald (left), a Giant Leopard moth, (middle, once a wooly-bear caterpillar) and a Pink-striped Oakworm (right). It’s fun to see these native moths with their intricate pattens and bright colors in this brief phase of their life cycles. Who knew that one of the best ways to see moths is to sew late into the night!
