Lady in waiting

(Photo by James)

At least, that's what I think this moth is doing. I'm thinking she's a female, who's sending out sweet-smelling pheromones that only some unsuspecting male can smell. In other words, she's a lady in waiting...waiting for a guy to come by and do the wild thing with her. She's been on our front screen door since Monday!

This morning, I went outside to take some photos of her. This little guy (below) is sitting not far from her, but he's a LOT smaller than she is. Could he be her Prince Charming? Stay tuned.


UPDATE May 12, 2010 evening–The moth has since disappeared. But I've got an identification, thanks to friendly folks at Bugguide.net. She's a Polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus. I don't think that was the male after all....