Monday, August 26, 2019

Micro to macro

This morning, our neighbor Cheyanne spotted this polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus) in our driveway. Since caterpillars host on oaks, I moved it to a live oak trunk. I guess now it doesn't really matter. Because I've since Googled male and female moths, and learned that ours is like a male because of its wider antennae. Guy or gal, this one was gorgeous and couldn't fly.
Saturday evening, I spotted this itty bitty critter on an oak leaf beneath the Texas bush-clover. When I leaned down for a closer look, I saw that it was a micro moth. Pretty, too. Later I emailed Delmar Cain for help on the ID. Bingo–he suggested old gold Isocorypha moth (Isocorypha mediostriatella), which is also called white-shawled Isocorypha. He's right! 

From micro to macro moths, they're all so very beautiful.....