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Moths

Where do they go when the sun comes out? They are attracted to light, then a huuuuge light bulb comes out and they bugger off
I love moths, they are like butterflies
 
Shady said:
Where do they go when the sun comes out? They are attracted to light, then a huuuuge light bulb comes out and they bugger off
I love moths, they are like butterflies
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Moths aren't attracted to light!

They use the moon to navigate, and when there's a light source that's nearer, it confuses the 'system' and they end up heading towards it; it's to do with the angles of light hitting their compound eyes, it's actually quite fascinating :)
 
Fluttermoth said:
Moths aren't attracted to light!

They use the moon to navigate, and when there's a light source that's nearer, it confuses the 'system' and they end up heading towards it; it's to do with the angles of light hitting their compound eyes, it's actually quite fascinating :)
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But that seems a bit contradictory; if Moths are attracted to the 'light' of the Moon to navigate, then they must surely be attracted to light?
 
Sid said:
But that seems a bit contradictory; if Moths are attracted to the 'light' of the Moon to navigate, then they must surely be attracted to light?
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No, they use the light of the Moon to navigate, they're attracted to knowing where the hell they're going.

EDIT I've always been suspicious of this explanation myself. I've never looked at a moth and thought it had any particular need to be in a particular place.
 
Sid said:
But that seems a bit contradictory; if Moths are attracted to the 'light' of the Moon to navigate, then they must surely be attracted to light?
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But, they're not attracted by light, they're not flying towards the light at all :)

The moths are flying a course that keeps the light coming into their eyes at a constant angle, Because the moon is at optical infinity, the rays of light coming from it are parallel, and that keeps the moth flying in a straight line. When the light source is closer, the same system makes the flight path spiral in on itself.

mothflight.jpg


Hope that helps :)
 
Fluttermoth said:
I don't think they're going to any particular place, I suspect it's to do with covering ground (looking for mates, food resources etc) more efficiently :)
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H'mm. . . well, when I'm thinking more about what Moths actually do when they find a strong source of light, like a street lamp, seeing as they have highly reflective wing scales - they show-up like bright (dazzlingly brilliant) beacons.
So, maybe it's got more to do with being able to advertise themselves to other prospective Moths which fly into that lit area, which are also attracted to the strong source of light?
Otherwise, what other reason would a Moth have for have for having such highly reflective scales on their wings?
 
We are arguing with a moth :D A light must be like a meeting place for them, a Moth disco, ok, club, im old, sue me.
 
Sid said:
H'mm. . . well, when I'm thinking more about what Moths actually do when they find a strong source of light, like a street lamp, seeing as they have highly reflective wing scales - they show-up like bright (dazzlingly brilliant) beacons.
So, maybe it's got more to do with being able to advertise themselves to other prospective Moths which fly into that lit area, which are also attracted to the strong source of light?
Otherwise, what other reason would a Moth have for have for having such highly reflective scales on their wings?
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Street lights haven't been around long enough to affect moth evolution like that :) Where would the moths have gathered before street lights were invented!? Moths aren't very visual, most species use scent/pheromones to find mates.

The scales on the wings (which is what gives the Lepidoptera family its name) are actually fascinating; they seem to have multiple uses; as well as helping form the patterns, and possibly assisting air flow over the wings, the scales on moth's wings (but not butterfly's) might have sound absorbing properties that help them avoid (or confuse) a bat's echolocation :)
 
Shady said:
We are arguing with a moth :D A light must be like a meeting place for them, a Moth disco, ok, club, im old, sue me.
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Well, it's not really an argument, is it? More of a discussion :D

I do love moths, always have, I think they're amazing! I do like butterflies, but they're all fancy and colourful and flashy; moths are more subtle and mostly come out at night, like ME :rollingw:
 
Fluttermoth said:
Where would the moths have gathered before street lights were invented? :)
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Any available light source I would imagine? Like the light from brightly lit Stars, lanterns, candles, fires, and before then, probably... as I found out online, that Moths (females) have pheromones, chemicals released to attract a mate, that are slightly luminescent, so maybe in the day's of darkness they relied upon males picking up visual, as well as chemical signs to find males?
 
Fluttermoth said:
Well, it's not really an argument, is it? More of a discussion :D

I do love moths, always have, I think they're amazing! I do like butterflies, but they're all fancy and colourful and flashy; moths are more subtle and mostly come out at night, like ME :rollingw:
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Thought is ~ that Moths and Butterfly's had the same origin - so, probably the Moth came first, then natural development had a hand in finding better ways to display/attract themselves by adding striking patterns to their wings/bodies.
 
Rare moth seen for first time since 1912.

US Customs and Border Protection agents at Detroit Metropolitan Airport found seed pods in the luggage of a passenger arriving from the Philippines. According to the passenger, the seed pods were an ingredient in a special medicinal tea—no big deal. Turns out though, there were also moth larvae and pupae among the seed pods. From the US CBP:

Moth larvae and pupae were collected for further analysis, and while in quarantine, several of the pupae hatched to reveal "very flashy" moths with raised patches of black setae (bristles). Physical characteristics indicated the moths to be members of family Pyralidae, however genius or species were not able to be determined by agriculture specialist and specimens were submitted to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for further identification.
A USDA Smithsonian Institution etymologist later confirmed with CBP this was a first encounter of this species of moth since it was first described in 1912. This was also the first time that a larvae or pupae associated with this species has been collected.
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https://boingboing.net/2022/05/17/t...12-just-showed-up-at-the-detroit-airport.html
 
Micro-Moth is back! I wonder if there's a Micro-Mothman?

A rare micro-moth has turned up more than 40 years after it was last seen in the UK - at the very same remote wetland in the Scottish Borders.

The Apotomis Infida, or Rannoch Marble, is commonly found in Scandinavia and North America.

But only three previous sightings have ever been made on the British Isles.

Retired GP and keen amateur lepidopterist Malcolm Lindsay caught the rare moth in an overnight trap at the Ettrick Marshes, near Selkirk.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-63587195
 
I know nothing about moths, but I found this in the stairwell of our building ten minutes ago (mid-morning).

SmartSelect_20230617_102804_KakaoTalk.jpg


It looks unremarkable because you can't see the scale, but I used the size of my phone beside it (anxious moment) to measure it from wingtip to 'nose' at almost exactly 15.5cm—definitely the largest moth I've seen outside of a zoo.

Colouration suggests to me that it's likely to live in the rough-barked trees between all the buildings here, and I'm sure it would be damned near invisible.

Edit: is it this? If so, it's a large specimen!

Psilogramma increta, the plain grey hawkmoth
https://inaturalist.ca/taxa/84253-Psilogramma-increta

Edit 2: my previous find in the building was the chap that looked like he was designed by Messerschmitt:

https://inaturalist.ca/taxa/128091-Callambulyx-tatarinovii
 
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Yithian said:
I know nothing about moths, but I found this in the stairwell of our building ten minutes ago (mid-morning).

View attachment 67112

It looks unremarkable because you can't see the scale, but I used the size of my phone beside it (anxious moment) to measure it from wingtip to 'nose' at almost exactly 15.5cm—definitely the largest moth I've seen outside of a zoo.

Colouration suggests to me that it's likely to sit live in the rough-barked trees between all the buildings here, and I'm sure it would be damned near invisible.

Edit: is it this? If so, it's a large specimen!

Psilogramma increta, the plain grey hawkmoth
https://inaturalist.ca/taxa/84253-Psilogramma-increta

Edit 2: my previous find in the building was the chap that looked like he was designed by Messerschmitt:

https://inaturalist.ca/taxa/128091-Callambulyx-tatarinovii
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Ooh, nice! It does look like a sort of hawkmoth. They can grow to enormous sizes.
 
Yithian said:
I know nothing about moths, but I found this in the stairwell of our building ten minutes ago (mid-morning).

View attachment 67112

It looks unremarkable because you can't see the scale, but I used the size of my phone beside it (anxious moment) to measure it from wingtip to 'nose' at almost exactly 15.5cm—definitely the largest moth I've seen outside of a zoo.

Colouration suggests to me that it's likely to sit live in the rough-barked trees between all the buildings here, and I'm sure it would be damned near invisible.

Edit: is it this? If so, it's a large specimen!

Psilogramma increta, the plain grey hawkmoth
https://inaturalist.ca/taxa/84253-Psilogramma-increta

Edit 2: my previous find in the building was the chap that looked like he was designed by Messerschmitt:

https://inaturalist.ca/taxa/128091-Callambulyx-tatarinovii
Click to expand...
Nice one!
https://baliwildlife.com/encyclopedia/animals/insects/moths/plain-grey-hawkmoth/
 
I found this unknown moth thingy in my back garden last year, warming up at the bottom of a fence.
1686999437021.png

Then, at some time later on in the day, it must have unrolled it's wings, and turned into this. . .
An 'Angel Shades.'
1686999603102.jpeg
 
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Summer before last, I heard tell that a luna moth had been sighted down at the corner store. Never having seen one with my own eyes, I ran down to have a look. He was there, but turned out to be trapped in a cobweb that was too high for me to reach.
luna moth cobweb resize.jpg


I ran back home and grabbed the resident tall person to come along on a rescue mission. It was still too high up to reach, so we borrowed the store's mop and freed the moth as gently as we could.

luna moth mop 1 resize.jpg


He climbed right on with no trouble.

luna moth mop 2 resize.jpg


Afterwards, he was kind enough to pose for a nice photo before fluttering away to freedom.

luna moth resize.jpg


Thus ended my adventure of the luna moth. They really are beautiful creatures, and I'm glad I got to see one.
 
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