The Nature ID Thread

[Opsa]

This thread is for posting photos of things that need identification.

Today I found this handsome person stuck in my screen tent. He had a three to four inch wing span. He was sluggish when I prodded him into a cup to escort him out, and sat on my picnic table for over an hour before he disappeared. I think he was either just out of the cocoon and drying out, or nocturnal.

He seems like some sort of large sphinx moth. Anyone know?

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

Beautiful! Any entomologist around?

[Opsa]

I Googled "large green moth" and got a bunch of luna moth images, but there was one that looked like mine that was identified as an Oleander Moth. Other photos of the Oleander moth showed a black and orange spotted moth and not at all like this one.

I looked a bit further this morning and found something called an Oleander Sphinx Moth or Oleander Hawk Moth (Daphnis nerii), but these seem to come from Africa and Asia, sometimes summering in Europe! That top photo looks just like him.

Edit: We're in the central eastern United States, so we're not sure how he got  here...

[Opsa]

 

Apparently, it is no so exotic after all. I think now that this was a Pandora Sphinx Moth, and this is right where they are supposed to live.

Still very pretty, though.

[pieces o nine]

At work we're (slowly!) recovering from the annual weeks-long, creepy moth infestation (freight from HQ in the south). This last week or so we've been seeing little bugs that look like this.

which, to the best of my research, are some sort of assassin bugs.
(Somehow, freight infested with 'assassin bugs' doesn't really seem far-fetched...)  

[Swatopluk]

Unfortunately, I know very well what species infests our kitchen cabinet despite significant counter-efforts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indianmeal_Moth

[Opsa]

We had an infestation of those a while back, Swato, which resulted in keeping our grains in covered containers.

Assassin bugs are interesting and odd. We had one in our little wading pool tent one year. We named him "Oswald".

P o' 9- are you sure you aren't seeing the brown stink bug? We are having quite a problem with these in our area. We have lots of orchards around here and they love to pierce fruit and then leave it there to deform. They don't seem to kill the tree- only the business- especially for the pick-your-own orchards.

[pieces o nine]

^  I don't think so, although I checked that as well in the pest I.D. site. These are pale (not just from the dust and debris that some older individuals apparently pick up, hence the specific version I'm guessing), and have longer, thinner bodies than stink bugs. They appear crawling on the dark sides of some mat boards (gak! we will have to check *all* wrapped art very carefully before finishing!) and do not fly away. If you try to shake them off a board they just crawl quickly to the edge, over, and a little ways up the other side. I haven't intentionally tried to kill one yet (the one I captured in a clear plastic coin holder to look up expired last night -- whether from lack of oxygen-?- or short life, I don't know).


In other bug news, the patio remains completely clear of post-rain worms, thanks to Yoda's enthusiastic consumption.   

[Opsa]

Awww... he's so CUTE! He could be the spokesperson for the invertebrate-supplement diet.

[Darlica]

Apparently, it is no so exotic after all. I think now that this was a Pandora Sphinx Moth, and this is right where they are supposed to live.

Still very pretty, though.

That is a very pretty moth and a very nice photho (the one you took). Moths and butterflies never become quite as big or spectacular around here, we have some really pretty ones but they are so tiny that people usually don't react at all when they see them.

[Swatopluk]

Wait until agrochemicals produce Mothra's lil sisters 

[pieces o nine]

Weidemeyer's Admirals are common here in the Ocean o'Sand:



Classic black & white apparel always looks sharp.   

[Aggie]

I've seen some moths that look like bumblebees lately, possibly Hemaris diffinis:

Photo is from wiki, but it was feeding on lavender, so it's appropriate.

[Opsa]

I love those little guys. They're friendly, too. If they're busy enough, you can sneak in a little pat on their fuzzy backs.

I sent that Pandora Sphinx photo to a butterfly and moth identification site, and they posted it there. Pretty cool (to a nature nerd like me, anyway)!