As a connoisseur of moths, I think about this image a lot. I’ve made a fair number of moth observations and I find myself thinking back to it at times and comparing what I’ve found. So I thought this might be a fun little thread: how many of these have you seen? What species have you found that match these descriptions?
I believe there should be a separate label for ‘nondescript brown moth’.
Lots out there!
Ooo Green - a whole group of unidentifiable Geometrids
Complex - Any Euxoa spp. with particular reference to E. ochrogaster. Most of that Genus also falls into the Unidentifiable group as well.
Stuffed toy - most Heliothinae.
That one you know - Anything in the tribe Amphipyrinae.
Large friend/wifi - Cecropia spp.
Bird poop - A whole lot of ‘bird dropping moths’ (Genuine group).
bird poop
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/104942325
gets wifi
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/67789580
large friend
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/61160197
beautiful pattern
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/60889385
impossible to id to species
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/108299343
stuffed toy
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/115789977
complex
https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/57362215
oh green
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/71293075
bonus type: camouflage expert moths!
there's no moth here
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/93747149
Seen, observed, or identified? Three very different categories.
Where I am right now when the Freshwater Mangrove trees (Barringtonia sp.) bloom the trees are covered in a wide variety of moths each night, as well as having a potentially dangerous number of Giant Asian Honeybees (Apis dorsata) on them too. Last year was the first year the trees right next to my room had a significant bloom, and I risked the bees for a few photos.
The most memorable observations of moths for me was well before iNat was a thing and I don’t have any photos of it.
Back in 2005 I was working on the edge of the cloud forest in Intag, Ecuador and one night the small building we were living in and working out of was absolutely covered with moths of all shape, size, and description. we spent several hours looking at them, exclaiming over individual ones, and calling others back outside to see one or another unique one. I have never seen so many moths, nor such a wide variety, all in one place before or since. The exterior of the building was literally fuzzy with them.