Diva Hemerophila Moth (Hemerophila diva), family Choreutidae, found in Florida and Cuba
photograph by Chris Rorabaugh
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Diva Hemerophila Moth (Hemerophila diva), family Choreutidae, found in Florida and Cuba
photograph by Chris Rorabaugh
Irenia Metalmark (Thisbe irenea), family Riodinidae, Peru
photograph by Tree Fong
Diva Hemerophila Moth (Hemerophila diva), family Choreutidae, found in FL, USA, and Cuba.
photograph by Alan (@peleides)
Butterfly of the day #134
Butterfly of the day Synchlora pulchrifimbria
Come back tomorrow for another cute butterfly! (Source: Synchlora pulchrifimbria de Panama le 22 Jui 2017 à 21:39 par Stéphane De Greef. Mercury vapour light trapping between 7 and 10PM. · iNaturalist)
Leafhoppers! What I would consider "my muse" of nature photography. They are sooo diverse and colorful and wonderful and SO understudied! I love being able to showcase their underrated beauty.
This exemplar belongs to the genus Paracarinolidia! I really like how large their eyes are, and the starry night-like dots on their wings!
Taken in Amazonas, Colombia
Butterfly of the day #60
Not-a-Butterfly of the day Pompelon marginata
Come back tomorrow for another cute butterfly! (Source:Pompelon marginata de Bukit Merah, Singapore le 31 Jan 2017 à 11:35 par Soh Kam Yung · iNaturalist)
Lipstick Skipper aka Blood Red Skipper (Haemactis sanguinalis), family Hesperiidae, Reserva Natural Maycu, Ecuador
photograph by Dominik Hofer
#3124 - Fam. Phlaeothripidae - Tube-tailed Thrips
Another insect shaken out of the trees in front of the hotel.
Fairly average in appearance for a Thrips (singular and plural), although perhaps towards the larger end of the spectrum. Note the conical head, short and somewhat clumsy legs, and feathery wings. The name of the Order, Thysanoptera, refers to the fringe on the wings.
Common names for thrips include thunderflies, thunderbugs, storm flies, thunderblights, storm bugs, corn fleas, corn flies, corn lice, freckle bugs, harvest bugs, and physopods (the later refers to the bladder-like tips to the tarsi of the legs).
Some 3,400 species are described in this family, and many are tropical fungivores. Most thrips eat fungus, some are predatory, but a few are agricultural pests, and some are gall-formers.
The largest thrips - Idolothrips marginatus - is in this family and can reach a bodylength of up to 14 mm.
We also saw these other thrips in abundance, doing what thrips are well-known for doing - descending in swarms on anything yellow. These other ones are probably in the other suborder of thrips, however.
Great Southern BioBlitz 2024, Wongan Hills
Pyralid Moth (Toccolosida rubriceps), family Pyralidae, Fraser Hill, Selangor, Malaysia
photograph by Ken Voon
Rosy Footman Moth (Miltochrista miniata), family Erebidae, Poland
Photography by Kacper Knychalski
Pink Noctuid Moth (Philareta treitschki), family Noctuidae, Turkey
photograph by Alperen YAYLA
Tortoise Beetle (Spaethiella sp.), family Chrysomelidae, Costa Rica
photograph by Thebugladies
Glossy Daggerwing (Marpesia furcula), family Nymphalidae, Panama
photograph by Pat Cole
Lovely colours on this green hairstreak - Callophrys rubi.
Princely Tiger Moth (Chrysocale principalis), family Erebidae, found in Mexico and Central America
photograph by Rio Dekito
Daily Dose of Lepidoptera
[Day 94]
-Orache Moth-
Trachea atriplicis
-Pikachu Moth-
Mazuca strigicincta
-Donuca lanipes-
Yellowjacket-Mimicking Moth: this is just a harmless moth that mimics the appearance and behavior of a yellowjacket/wasp; its disguise is so convincing that it can even fool actual wasps
This species of moth (Myrmecopsis polistes) is one of the most impressive wasp-mimics in the world. The moth's narrow waist, teardrop-shaped abdomen, black-and-yellow patterning, transparent wings, smooth appearance, and folded wing position all mimic the features of a wasp. Unlike an actual wasp, however, it does not have any mandibles or biting/chewing mouthparts, because it's equipped with a proboscis instead, and it has noticeably "feathery" antennae.
There are many moths that use hymenopteran mimicry (the mimicry of bees, wasps, yellowjackets, hornets, and/or bumblebees, in particular) as a way to deter predators, and those mimics are often incredibly convincing. Myrmecopsis polistes is one of the best examples, but there are several other moths that have also mastered this form of mimicry.
Above: Pseudosphex laticincta, another moth species that mimics a yellowjacket
These disguises often involve more than just a physical resemblance; in many cases, the moths also engage in behavioral and/or acoustic mimicry, meaning that they can mimic the sounds and behaviors of their hymenopteran models. In some cases, the resemblance is so convincing that it even fools actual wasps/yellowjackets.
Above: Pseudosphex laticincta
Such a detailed and intricate disguise is unusual even among mimics. Researchers believe that it developed partly as a way for the moth to trick actual wasps into treating it like one of their own. Wasps frequently prey upon moths, but they are innately non-aggressive toward their own fellow nest-mates, which are identified by sight -- so if the moth can convincingly impersonate one of those nest-mates, then it can avoid being eaten by wasps.
Above: Pseudosphex laticincta
I gave an overview of the moths that mimic bees, wasps, yellowjackets, hornets, and bumblebees in one of my previous posts, but I felt that these two species (Myrmecopsis polistes and Pseudosphex laticincta) deserved to have their own dedicated post, because these are two of the most convincing mimics I have ever seen.
Above: Pseudosphex sp.
I think that moths in general are probably the most talented mimics in the natural world. They have so many intricate, unique disguises, and they often combine visual, behavioral, and acoustic forms of mimicry in order to produce an uncanny resemblance. Moths are just so much more interesting than people generally realize.
Sources & More Info:
Journal of Ecology and Evolution: A Hypothesis to Explain Accuracy of Wasp Resemblances
Entomology Today: In Enemy Garb: A New Explanation for Wasp Mimicry
iNaturalist: Myrmecopsis polistes and Pseudosphex laticincta
Transactions of the Entomological Society of London: A Few Observations on Mimicry
This is the best wasp mimic moth I think I've ever seen, and there are a whole lot of them