Mothing Night 4

Wind in the sails. On a night like this, the wide, white, static backdrop of the garage door has its advantage. A mothing sheet would billow and snap.

Not only do moths come in a variety of colors, but they also come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some guidebooks contain a page of moth silhouettes as an aid to navigating among the many families. Some moths have a distinctive posture, holding their wings in a peculiar manner or perching in odd, angular ways. The diminutive Leaf Blotch Miner Moths (Gracillariidae) that rest propped on fully-extended forelegs. The Plume Moths (Pterophoridae) that resemble crane flies. Clearly, however, one of the most unusual moths to visit the mothing light has to be the Dark-spotted Palthis. The creased and curled wings give it a kind of paper airplane look. But the male’s elongated and upturned labial palps give it the appearance of having a preposterous snout.

Posted on May 30, 2017 02:24 AM by scottking