Luna Moth

[dun]

Just think they're pretty neat

 

[TexasBred]

We will have one of these show up around here from time to time. Not often but occasionally. They are beautiful things.

 

[inyati13]

Luna is beautiful.
Moths and butterflies. When it comes to the Moths here is a favorite :

 

[dun]

Luna is beautiful.
Moths and butterflies. When it comes to the Moths here is a favorite :

I don;t know if that is the exact one, but in california we had moths similar that were as big as my hand. Got into a helluva lot of trouble because I caught one and stuck in it the Lieutenant's desk drawer. When she opened it the enxt morning it flew out and she about killed herself falling over backwards. Kind of sucked being the only one that worked nights cause it was figured out that it hadn't gone in there by itself.

 

[inyati13]

Luna is beautiful.
Moths and butterflies. When it comes to the Moths here is a favorite :

I don;t know if that is the exact one, but in california we had moths similar that were as big as my hand. Got into a helluva lot of trouble because I caught one and stuck in it the Lieutenant's desk drawer. When she opened it the enxt morning it flew out and she about killed herself falling over backwards. Kind of sucked being the only one that worked nights cause it was figured out that it hadn't gone in there by itself.

Cecropia. Same Family as the Luna. The biggest moth in USA. It was very likely this species.

 

[greybeard]

Just think they're pretty neat

Don't know how it got in but had one inside my bug zapper last year--thought the thing would never stop buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzing.

 

[Nesikep]

Here's one I saw while baling the other night.. very similar to what Inyati posted.. darned thing was bigger than the emblem on the massey 165!

 

[Nesikep]

Here's something I've seen kinda similar to the Luna moth..

 

[inyati13]

Here's one I saw while baling the other night.. very similar to what Inyati posted.. darned thing was bigger than the emblem on the massey 165!

The picture is not great. It is a cecropia. The is a moth called Polyphemus that is often confused with the cecropia

 

[Nesikep]

From what I saw, the Polyphemus has round 'eye' spots, and the Cecropia has Nike swooshes.

Another moth/butterfly I've seen that was very pretty is slate/coal gray with orange trim..



And a very large wasp that LOVES mint and onion flowers


I've heard this is a Horse Guardian wasp, but never quite found one matching it.. Darned big!!! I rescued it from being drowned under the irrigation

 

[inyati13]

I came within a hair of going to Iowa State in Ames for my Doctorate in Economic Entomology. They have a great program in their Agriculture Department. One of the courses I took was Taxonomic Entomology and we were exposed to insects on a world basis. The size of insects in South America is astounding. There is a horned beetle, I forgot the name but could look it up, that is as big as baseball. The roaches are as big as mice.

PS: Google acteon beetle.

Excerpt:
Megasoma acteon, another of the giant beetle species in the Amazon rain forest of South America, can reach lengths of more than 5 inches long and can grow as thick as 1.6 inches.

It has a formidable armor like most beetles and very powerful legs that have large claws that help the beetle grip trees. In fact, due primarily to its massive size, adult acteon beetles have almost no natural predators.

 

[HDRider]

Tomato worm.

 

[inyati13]

Tomato worm.

You are referring to the moth Nesi posted. Not a Tomato or Tobacco Hornworm moth. But you are close.

Google Tobacco Hornworm. The tomato worm and tobacco worm are almost same.

The tomato and tobacco horn worm moths are sphinx moths. They may look a little like a cecropia but not to a trained eye. The tomato worm moth looks torpedo shaped. Google it. I know you have seen them.

 

[Nesikep]

That's most likely what it is.. we do have tomato hornworms here.. and they are incredibly camouflaged caterpillars on the tomato, though their destruction is hard to miss.

 

[Boot Jack Bulls]

Inyati, I found this one in our shop last weekend. It was about 4 inches long!

 

[Nesikep]

Boot jack, That looks like the Cecropia Inyati posted.. Mine is similar but isn't as dark colored... When I saw it out of the corner of my eye I thought it was a bat.

 

[inyati13]

Inyati, I found this one in our shop last weekend. It was about 4 inches long!

Yes. A cecropia. As Nesikep said: Polyphemus has round 'eye' spots, and the Cecropia has Nike swooshes. That has the Nike swooshes.

 

[inyati13]

From what I saw, the Polyphemus has round 'eye' spots, and the Cecropia has Nike swooshes.

Another moth/butterfly I've seen that was very pretty is slate/coal gray with orange trim..



And a very large wasp that LOVES mint and onion flowers


I've heard this is a Horse Guardian wasp, but never quite found one matching it.. Darned big!!! I rescued it from being drowned under the irrigation

Nesikep. The top moth. I have seen that moth in one of my old text books. It is an Arctiidae or Arctiid moth. I looked at images in that family and I believe it is Atolmis rubricollis. Common name is Red-Necked Footman.

Google the species name and you will note the collar varies from red to yellow. I think this is your man.

 

[Nesikep]

It seems as the one that's here is a Gnamptonychia flavicollis.. the less red necked version, and that one is found in mexico, while the one you mention seems to be the european model.. Apparently feeds on fir lichens.

If you want to see odd bugs, Plant some peppermint and onions for seed.. some interesting stuff comes around to those flowers.

I remember (not) Biology 101.. I don't know if it was the teacher or course material, but it was DRY.. I felt like I just had to be a sponge, fill my memory, which I knew darned well was going to vanish the day after exams (or during).. didn't feel like I was *learning*

 

[inyati13]

It seems as the one that's here is a Gnamptonychia flavicollis.. the less red necked version, and that one is found in mexico, while the one you mention seems to be the european model.. Apparently feeds on fir lichens.

If you want to see odd bugs, Plant some peppermint and onions for seed.. some interesting stuff comes around to those flowers.

I remember (not) Biology 101.. I don't know if it was the teacher or course material, but it was DRY.. I felt like I just had to be a sponge, fill my memory, which I knew darned well was going to vanish the day after exams (or during).. didn't feel like I was *learning*

Gnamptonychia flavicollis is a synonym for Atolmis flavicollis meaning the genus has been reclassified. But that species is in Mexico as you stated. Your specimen is an Atolmis but have not found the right one. After seeing the feathered antennae, it is not the Footman.