#apantesis

[herpsandbirds]

Harnessed Tiger Moth (Apantesis phalerata), family Erebidae, Western TN, USA

photograph by Ken Childs

[onenicebugperday]

@tabbycatreads submitted: Delightful little fellow from my porch Rockford, Illinois

A beautiful harnessed tiger moth!

[coolbugs]

Bug of the Day

Ok, I think I’ve finally figured out the trick to getting these tiger moths to show their underwings: you need to poke them when they are already on the ground. If you touch them when they are perched vertically on something, they immediately play dead and drop to the ground like a small, colorful rock :-).

(This is Nais tiger moth, Apantesis nais. Thx to John Trapp and Chris Schmidt for the id)

P.S. - If you notice the yellowish sheen to this photo, it’s merely because every square inch of my yard is covered with pollen. Feh.

[mudpuddling-moved]

virgin tiger moth in georgia

[herpsandbirds]

Virgin Tiger Moth (Apantesis virgo), Erebidae, NH, USA

photograph by Beth Herrick

[onenicebugperday]

@wretched-creature submitted: Could you identify this little guy for me and a friend? We found them in Western Missouri. We know it's some kind of jumping spider, we're just not sure of the species.

Here are some other guys :) I don't need them identified, I just like them

I can! He's a male thin-spined jumping spider, Tutelina elegans. He is very lovely and so are the other friends :)

[onenicebugperday]

@mangocatuwu submitted: A collection of bugs I found at home and a bonus juvenile redtail hawk! The two spiders were massive btw, the funnel spider had to be as big as my palm

I love them all! Especially the carpenter bee. And I think the hawk can be an honorary bug just this once :)

[herpsandbirds]

Here's a li'l guy for moth week! From South-East Ontario

Moth ID - ONT, Canada:

Hello, yess, this looks like a Virgin Tiger Moth (Apantesis virgo), family Erebidae.