I still have a decent backlog of readers’ wildlife photos, but will post a “spot the” puzzle today. This one comes from reader Mark Sturtevant, who has graced us with many insect photos before. Click on the photo (twice) to make it really big.
Mark’s notes:
I had a batch of luna cocoons (Actias luna) sent to me by mail order earlier this year. Just the other day I heard quite a ruckus in the bug cage where I had been keeping them. One of the last moths was eclosing! As I held the cocoon the luna moth slowly emerged, crawling out into my hand. That was a moment that I will forever hold as precious.
Anyway, after its wings had expanded I hung her in my cherry tree and took pictures with my 50mm lens. Can the readers find Luna? She is in there somewhere!
First, a photo of a male moth, and then a female (these are not Mark’s photos but are taken from Wikipedia):
Now, find it! Answer at noon Chicago time. I would rank this one very, very hard.
“eclosing”
day = MADE
Spoiler: If this is a cocoon I think I found it!
Moth cocoon is close to center vertically and just to the left of the large branch extending downwards from the upper left corner of picture.
“after its wings had expanded I hung her in my cherry tree and took pictures”
It is a moth, not a cocoon.
With my eyes,i’m lucky i can see the Tree.
I’m pretty sure I see Jesus in there.
If I had until noon Chicago time next year I might be able to find it.
I’ve been looking for 40 minutes but are a few sections I havne’t checked yet. There are a couple that I think might be it but I doubt it. I’m going back in.
this is so hard I’m not sure I found it!
I think I found Luna but I’m not sure … definitely had to embiggen the photo!
That’s well up with the nightjars.
I got it!! There were maybe three or four things I thought it could be but were off in other ways. This was actually one of them. As I went back and stared at the ones I thought it could be, the other half appeared and it’s definitely it. No doubt about it. This is awesome. Two hours later. So beautiful also.
I found it pretty quickly – I think that it was the symmetry that jumped out at me on my first scan of the hi-res image.
and the antennae confirmed it.
Yes. It is so beautiful. I almost want a cropped picture of this to frame. The antennae and also the soft, white part. The way the lines are on the wings also.
Arrgh!!!