Name that moth!
Several weeks ago I found this moth on the side of our shed.
Moths are especially difficult to identify, and I’m not exactly sure that I know what it is. None of my insect books had it, but that is the case for the majority of moths I come across.
Luckily, I came across this resource on the moths of the Pacific Northwest! After thumbing through it a bit, I believe I finally know what type of moth it is. And the drum roll…
It is a Tolype distincta of the family Lasiocampidae. Unfortunately I was not able to find a common name for this moth, though from searching on the web it is somewhat common. I believe it feeds on trees, but could find no definitive information on the web.
Here’s another shot of it that is better for identification.
This specimen I found was attached to another moth below it, the result of mating. The bottom moth was already dead and this one was clinging to life when I found it – no longer able to fly.
So, I was able to give this little moth a name, though all I know about it is from interacting with it myself. Still, it’s always nice to know when of my neighbor’s names…
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Tags: identification, insect, lepidoptera, moth