It’s National Moth Week Again

I can’t wait, this Friday I am going to a moth spotlighting event. The last time I attended one, we saw all manner of strange nocturnal animals: moths, bugs, spiders, beetles. It was very hot, I was very sweaty, but also felt happy and satisfied.

Last Saturday, July 24, I found this little Lepidopteran beauty floating in the pool. It sadly did not survive, but what a little gem. It looks like an abstract painting par excellence! It’s hard to say how it made me feel, the pinks, oranges, the spots! It’s aposematic coloring warns of its unpalatability, however wasted on me, a non-moth eater.

I present the bella moth, also called the rattlebox moth (Utetheisa ornatrix), an unusual diurnal moth.

Update: It was a washout. Unfortunately for us, the rather heavy thunderstorm meant the intelligent animals—i.e. the insects—were tucked out of sight. Still, it was nice to see so many moth lovers show up.