Moth – Insectamonarca's Blog

Need help identifying two moth species

I looked all over the Internet and at Moth organizations in USA . I want to identify the following moths. At least I think they are moths. They are unique. If you know species, please let me know. I will give you credit for identifying. The Field Guide I am writing will have butterflies and moths in the the book.

UPDATE: The two moths have been identified. Please visit www.butterfly-woman-publishing.com for the follow-up story of mystery moths and bog.

The photos were taken in northwest Wisconsin, south of the village of Minong, on a remote country road. I went out one day, with Anna Merritt Martineau, to do a butterfly shoot one day. I always see other species and try to record them also.

Tonya Treichel Albers identified first moth above as Friendly Probole Moth – Probole amicaria

Second moth: Xanthotype urticaria (Geometridae) identified by Tonya Treichel Albers.

A Familiar Moth across the Big Water

Red underwing moth copyright Richard Lord

Received an email from Guernsey Wildlife. The moth photo was taken by Richard Lord. He says, “The red underwing is a large moth. It was seen flying during the day by the National Trust Folk and Costume Museum in Saumarez Park on 26 August. On 1 September it was found dead on the floor of one of the museum rooms.” Submitted by Richard Lord. He hosts a Facebook group page called Guernsey Wildlife. Guernsey is closer to France than the Brithish Crown but belongs to the UK.

I have seen this moth in Northwest Wisconsin, USA. I even saved the wings once that previously belonged to a living being and now was gone. I picked up the wings and tenderly placed them under glass to hopefully identify the moth one day. Now I know it is the Red Underwing Moth. I have always called her beautiful.

Giant Silkworm Moth (Cecropia) wows a photographer

Here we are again in the land of natural resources. I walked outside to look at an herb garden I planted several years ago when a resident pointed out a sleeping moth nearby. Wow, it was a giant silkworm moth. The beautiful Cecropia moth. (Hyalophora cecropia) was sound asleep and didn’t even know I was there.

The colorful rusty legs, feathery antennae and patterned body with bull’s eye markings are enough to dazzle a viewer. This particular Cecropia is taking up residence in Shell Lake, Wisconsin. I wish I knew more about this beautiful species.

According to Wikipedia, differentiating between genders of this species is very easy. The most obvious difference is the plumrose antennae. Males possess a very bushy antenna while females will have a moderately less bushy antenna. Females appear slightly larger in the abdomen due to the bulk of its many eggs. The abdomen of males appear more angular than that of the more rounded female abdomen.