I photographed this for you this morning....what is it.....I have never seen a butterfly this big if that is what it is....please let me know what is lighting on my house
This is a weird looking something, Texaspuddyprint
Oooooh, what a gorgeous moth!! I'll let Cat id him, she can probably do it without her book.
Definitely a moth. (Look at the hairy antennas.) Very pretty!!!
Very interesting to see the "eye" spots on the top wings instead of the bottom wings like many moths. It must be one of the varieties from the Hyalophora cecropia (cecropia moth) family. Wild Silk Moth. But not sure. Yours is really dark colored, where most are brown with reddish brown. Perhaps it is the lighting. Either way, your moth is a beauty!
I don't think the lighting was unusual in any way and i do have a very good camera.....
Another beauty! Please keep us posted - love to see more pics if you can get them.
I think it's a Columbia Silkmoth, beckygardener has the right genus . It's a Hyalophora colombia
http://bugguide.net/node/view/41872
If that's what it is, Bugfiles needs a picture of it
http://davesgarden.com/bf/b/Lepidoptera/Saturniidae/Hyalophora/none/genus/0/
This message was edited Mar 23, 2007 3:29 PM
Now, anyone can use this picture, but I am computer challenged and could never add anything to plant or bugfiles.....
It's easy! I have a thread going now in the wintersowing forum trying to persuade people to load pictures of sprouts to plantfiles. Adding a species that's not there already is more involved, but that's not too hard either.
Just go to the 'bug' you want to load a picture of, click on "Upload an image of this bug", and there's a "browse" button, just like where you load a picture for a post. You can add comments, like where and when you saw it or anything like that.
Here's a link to the Columbia Silk Moth's page to load an image. Give it a try, that's a really good picture!
http://davesgarden.com/bf/image.php?bid=2373
I don't know if someone else could do it for you, I think the picture would have overlapping copyright marks.
Mike
That's really pretty! And I so seldom see large moths around here.
I will try, but, for the record, I take pics all the time...................ANYONE can have them!!!!! (LOL)
I did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thanks for your help...I think I may be able to do this now
I don't think I see my picture I just uploaded???????
It may take a day or more to show up. Check back again on Sunday or Monday to check. Thanks for adding it to the bugfiles, bettygail!
New pictures go in their own forum where other people can comment while the admins make sure your picture is right. It's there already:
http://davesgarden.com/forums/f/bfpics/all/
Thanks for sharing that info with us claypa. I didn't know that was the "holding" area until it was released to the appropriate bugfile.
You sure do know a lot claypa and beckygardner!!! I just love knowing how to do this now.....I might get brave enough to add a picture of a plant already named with a file.
Go for it, Betty! That's what makes this forum and website so successful ...... all the folks who contribute to it! I, personally, love ALL the photos posted on the bugfiles, plantfiles, and in the various forum threads! I am a visual person and it really helps me to see what someone is talking about! :-)
That is why i carry this silly camera everywhere I go. AND....I can't even work it half the time!!! (LOL) I don't read instruction manuals so it is a matter of luck when I get a pic....I always want to see what someone is talking about.....
Uh oh, don't thank me yet... I think I got the id wrong. Look at the red stripe on the body in beckygardener's picture, I didn't notice it before.
This page shows the Silkmoths. Please take a look at #'s 7763 and 7768.
http://tinyurl.com/24k7cn
Here's another page that shows the Eupackardia calletta:
http://tinyurl.com/2xnlmw
I'm really sorry to have caused this confusion, especially after you loaded the picture... we'll straighten it out somehow.
Mike
Hahaha....I don't have a problem with being wrong...just grateful to all you people....yeah, you have to straighten it out as I can't (LOL)
Yes! It does appear to be the Eupackardia calleta. A fine specimen at that! Lucky you, Betty!
Just saw this post...WOW!!! What an awesome looking male Calleta!!!
I have yet to see one of those moths out here. Simply gorgeous!!! Lucky you!!!
Look around your place for larval hosts - purple sage/cenizo (leucophyllum), ocotillo/devi's walking stick cactus (fouquieria), mesquite (prosopis), acacia, ash (fraxinus) and privet (ligustrum).
The caterpillars are equally awesome...google calleta moth for some good photos and info.
~ Cat
Well there's an entry for the Calletta moth in Bug Files now. I guess this is a rare bird since it's not in www.bugguide.net or wikipedia.
We are one big mess of mesquite trees....does that count??? And.....there are privets we can't get rid of....one is growing in the middle of a giant mesquite tree.....we don't know how it started growing there????? It is not about 10 ft. high..I wish I knew what I was looking for so I could tell you, TexasPuddyPrint....
claypa, where are you telling me to upload that photo...i took about 4 pictures .....or did someone do if for me???
Here:
http://davesgarden.com/bf/image.php?bid=4637
It may not work, an admin might have to move it... if it doesn't load, they will see the note on the bug files pictures forum.
thanks, claypa...this is so funny because now Iwant to start looking at all the creatures out here in the middle of nowhere.................
I finally found the picture...ths is fun!!!
bettygail,
I have moved the first image you posted, from Hyalophora columbia to Eupackardia calletta and you can now see it here: http://davesgarden.com/bf/go/4637/
Ken
aren't you nice!!!!!!
thanks,
gail
I was scared when I first saw him....didn't know what it was!!!
This message was edited Mar 24, 2007 5:18 PM