It is often confused with butterflies because it's much prettier than many moths, which are, except for the Cecropai and Luna moth I think, mostly beiges, whites and gray. It also flies in the daytime.
The host plant for this moth is the Virginia Creeper and grape vine.
Well, thinks I, that explains it... this place is riddled with both. I have huge Virginia creeper vines crawling all over the north side of the drive shed, and am constantly tripping on the wild grape vines that weave and tangle throughout the grass, climbing anything vertical - such as the old posts from the fence I'm taking down, trees and small shrubs. It's often necessary to remove them and cut them back to keep them from strangling the trees.
But the moth, the first time I've seen one, is fairly rare in this part of the world. So lucky me!
Love sharing this little critter - hope it returns. The caterpillar isn't very pretty, but who cares, the moth is amazing.
You might find something unusual or amazing in your back yard today if you look carefully, don't you think?
Lovely post and photo. I am always checking out my yard and plants for buterflies and moths. They can both be very colorful and pretty critters like the one you have.
ReplyDeleteThanks Eileen, but you're the photographer, or one of the best among those I follow... your shots are brilliant - I think I was just lucky this time. Glad you enjoyed it.
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