Mystery Moth
Hmmm, is there a whole other dimension of life beneath the leaf litter we shuffle through?
In over a decade of nature study, I have tracked down pretty much all the commonly occurring butterflies, and quite a few of the uncommon ones, in my stomping grounds. Periodically, I encounter a day-flying moth that attracts my interest and toy with the idea of adding moths to my repertoire of identification skills. But each time I venture into that arena I quickly think better.
You may well ask why? (Okay, humour me. Pretend that it matters to you!) Quite frankly, it is too daunting a task even for a self-professed nature geek such as me. There are over 11,000 species of moths in North America. And to make matters worse, the visual differences between many of them are frustratingly subtle. Nonetheless, I do find them intriguing.
I spotted the strange looking moth at the top of this post a few weeks ago. In the days since, I have page surfed through a field guide trying to identify it. It could very well be a Gold-spotted Ghost Moth. But then again, it is a rather close match for a Canadian Owlet. But wait, it also quite resembles a Hologram Moth – and a dozen other moth species. You see the problem.
But I am quite taken by the strange shape of this moth and by its miniature horns or tusks. Does it not look rather prehistoric? Increase it in size by a factor of 500,000 and it could be a velociraptor cruising the skies when dinosaurs ruled the earth.
Engrailed Moth
I believe that the moth in the above photo is one of the 100 or so species of Engrailed Moths. These species are masters of camouflage as you can see. I suspect I have passed by dozens of them without noticing.
Case in point. A few years ago, I noticed what a first glance appeared to be a small imperfection on a tree trunk. Upon closer examination, I realized it was an Engrailed Moth perfectly camouflaged in its environment.
Hummingbird Clearwing Moth
I can definitively say that the large species above is a Hummingbird Clearwing Moth – so named because they look like a Hummingbird when they go buzzing past. Clearwings are chunky moths with an impressive two inch wingspan. The lesson here is that moths come in all shapes and sizes and range from drab in appearance to quite striking
I sometimes tell myself that when I retire, and have more time on my hands, I will crack the code on moth identification. But I doubt that I will ever be able to summon the patience.
In the meantime, I will admire them when they come my way and wonder about the secret lives they carry out in the leaf litter at our feet while we remain oblivious to their existence. And, of course, consider them as yet one more winged metaphor for the incredible diversity of nature.
~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog
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Tags: Canadian Owlet · Engrailed Moth · Gold-spotted Ghost Moth · Hologram moth · Hummingbird Clearwing Moth · metaphor · Michael Robert Dyet · moths · NatureNo Comments