by Matthew Cobb
There’s a moth somewhere here.
h/t @SensoryEcology and especially @DanBrown81 who took the photo (I think)
Another damn moth
January 29, 2014 • 5:33 am
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Spotted it. But only because you told me there was one to spot.
It’s very visible-upper bottom half-left. Even the antennae are visible.
Yep, that’s him.
Her
“Upper bottom left half”??
More like top wise leftermost.
Going turnwise or widdershins?
Sounds like Grandpa Simpson up in here.
Granny Weatherwax would be horrified! (It’s a Pratchettism, which I think the Simpsons writers have copied a time or several.
You misquoted me.
There is one indeed – lower left, I’d say 🙂
Finally, one that seen within a few seconds.
If I was the predator, I’d starve.
That’s easy, it’s right there *points*
Pithom is right of course; I did not see it as I was looking for something smaller and
´saw´ (=hallucinated) two or three candidates already.
Maybe next time you can help us answering by adding checkerboard-style coordinates?
Add’em yourself, use chess notation.
I prefer old-style:
moth-Q4 !
Are you sure there’s only one?
This one was easier than the last couple. Still, very neat.
Yes, sure. Of course there is.
And the wolf’s eating your sheep again, I presume, too?
b&
It was asymmetric because the right wing is covering the left. Funny how that tripped up my pattern recognition for a second while I had to retrace my first impression.
So, is that “a rightie” and is there a symmetry break between the two possible preferences? And how would a winged insect that stacks its wing decide, by the way?
Pinned to the tree? I hear they won’t land there naturally: otherwise natural selection would happen and Jesus would be sad.
I say it’s located a little to the left and a little above center of photo. (An overlying grid would help more accurately locate, though perhaps it could also obscure a bit.)
Whoops, I wasn’t looking at all the photo.
Is this Dichona aprilina? Common name of which is Merveille-du-jour, Wonder of the day!
Considering that it’s Matthew-in-or-around-Manchester, spiritual home of all industrial pollution, I’d go for Biston betularia, the “Peppered Moth, leuco-form (i.e. light coloured, as opposed to dark coloured). Yes, that moth.
I’m not as mothologist though, so don’t take my word for it.
It’s too green for that, and looks like a Noctuid (B. betularia is a Geometrid, an “inch worm”). I second the guess of Dichona aprilina. One of its U.S. relatives has a similar common name: Agriopodes fallax, the Green Marvel. There are other similar species – I photographed one in my backyard that I haven’t been able to identify yet.
How about sharing a photo of your moth, Ironwing?
No camouflage here! This was on a blanket that had been left hanging out overnight:
http://www.mineralarts.com/artwork/blanketmoth.jpg
Wings are about an inch long. Photo taken September 29, 2013. Southeastern Arizona.
Thanks! A real beauty!
Please see comment #23 posted below in error.
Yes, a Merveille-du-Jour. A female without the male’s feathered antennae.
The (in)famous Peppered is black and white.
Like I said, I’m not a mothologist. The only time I’ve had someone point out a Peppered Moth to me, they weren’t a mothologist either and were suitable cautious.
I’m always cautious of interpreting pale colour casts on photos. It’s all to easy to slip the colour balance a few hues in the chain from camera sensor to screen pixel. Which is why I’ve [thump!] got my set of colour-comparison charts sitting on the desk here beside me.
I found one at last!
The nightjar is definitely in the upper right corner. 🙂
Hahahaha…
Moth: They can’t see me. I’m lichen it.
+1
Don’t know about the moth, but I think I see his balls. 🙂
Wait, I see him now.
Found it! (On walking back to the screen after getting up to get something, so viewed from a distance helps.)
Maybe predators (birds?) experience the same phenomenon? The moth has the color shading about right but its pattern looks to be more symmetrical than the background.
I wonder if predators can detect a scent from the moth at close range?
Spotted it in less than tree seconds! 🙂
Fantastic, though, how the colours on its wings match the colours of the lichen.
WEITers have much better humor than JeebusChristers!
Found one. Are there two
Funny how once you spot it then look again later it ‘jumps’ out at you.
That’s because we don’t have free will. We must see it. 🙂
I’m no expert on moths, but I just came across these images that resemble your moth:
http://themagicofmoths.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/merveille-du-jour-garden-moths-021010-005.jpg
http://themagicofmoths.wordpress.com/
Moma alpium?
Oops… this was supposed to be in response to Ironwing’s own moth photo below comment #14.
Feel so stupid, as I can’t spot it! Ugh!
Try the lower left quadrant. In the upper part of that, look for the oblique black zigzaggy streaks on the wings. Hope that helps.