Week 12: Yellow-collared Scape Moth

Moth of the Week
Yellow-collared Scape Moth - Cisseps fulvicollis (#8267)
Forewing: 16mm
Also reported in Zones 3,5,6

     Moths are an amazingly diverse family.  They range from only a few millimeters in length up to 12 inches long.  They come in every color imaginable: red, green, pink, blue, irridescent.  Some you would never even guess were moths.  One family, Sesiidae, are incredible wasp mimics; several look almost identical to hornets. Several species of Sphinx moths are often confused for hummingbirds especially as they tend to visit hummingbird feeders around dusk.  The Yellow-collared Scape Moth actually appears much like a beetle. 

Other Moths this Week:

Waved Sphinx - Ceratomia undulosa (#7787)

Forewing: 45mm

Also reported in Zones 3,4,5,6

According to Bugguide.net this is one of the most common Sphinx moths.

American Lady - Vanessa virginiensis

Also reported in Zones 1,2,3,4,5,6

   While the American Lady is not a "moth," taxonomically there is little difference between moths and butterflies.  In the order Lepidoptera there are approximately 30 Superfamilies represented in the United States.  Butterflies comprise 2 of those families; Hesperioidea (Skippers) and Papilionoidea (Butterflies).  The remaining 28 families are lumped together as "moths."

     This American Lady gets included because she was attracted to our porchlight one night.  Butterflies are generally diurnal creatures; however, I suppose they occassionally sleepfly.

Joyful Holomolina - Virbia laeta (#8114)

Forewing: 8mm

When you first see this moth sitting with its wings folded it really doesn't look like much.  A small almost entirely black moth.  However, as soon as it takes flight you can't miss the brilliant flash of red as it flits to and for around the lights.

Walnut Sphinx - Amorpha juglandis (#7827)

Forewing: 30mm

Also reported in Zones 3,4,5