I received emails about “Happy Star Wars Day” and the “May the 4th be with you” today. And the shape of this moth might look like one of the various Star Wars ships. While normally I overlook a lot of the smaller moths, it was hard to miss this one since it was on the door handle. I believe this is a Plagodis phlogosaria, or straight-lined plagodis moth.
Straight-lined Plagodis
While some insects seem to be more prevalent this year (like wasps), the butterfly and moths numbers seem to be down and I haven’t spotted many of the hummingbird type moths like this White-lined Sphinx Moth. When I saw the first one as a kid, I did think it was a hummingbird with its wingspan up to three and half inches and the way it was hovering around the blossoms, but it was only a moth.
White-lined Sphinx Moth
With the temperature reaching the 40s, a few insects appeared to have thawed out but there are no blooming flowers or this white-lined sphinx moth flying around as the sunshine melted some of the snow. This moth does not survive Wisconsin’s harsh winters but moves up from the south most springs.
White-lined Sphinx
I was watching a hummingbird in the blossoming phlox and right after it flew away, I spotted the hummingbird clearwing. It isn’t a bird but a moth in the Sphingidae family. While it is not a big pollinator, it is the primary pollinator for some orchid species.
Hummingbird Clearwing
The milkweed is blooming and the flowers are drawing in different insects, like the snowberry clearwing, which looks like a hummingbird when they hover as it feeds on the nectar but it really is a moth.
Snowberry Clearwing
This large green moth is not rare, but it is rarely seen due to its short life span of about a week and nocturnal flying. And because of its short life span, the Luna moth doesn’t have a mouth or digestive system since it doesn’t eat (although it is a favorite snack for bats). To protect themselves from bats, the moth spins its tails to disorient the bats and can sometimes get away. During their short life, the female releases pheromones, which the males (like this moth) detect via their large antennae and the female can lay 200 to 400 eggs.
Luna Moth
I might have to find a way to make a padded pouch on the lawn mower to carry my camera so I can capture the different creatures I spot during the hours of mowing. A giant swallowtail butterfly was on the swamp milkweed blossoms so I hurried back to the house to grab the camera, but of course it was gone before I got back to the spot. Although a monarch was there instead and as I tried to get some pictures it that butterfly, a hummingbird clearwing moth made a brief appearance as well before heading to other blossoms.
Hummingbird Clearwing Moth
At first glance, this moth is often mistaken as a hummingbird as it hovers above the flowers gathering nectar. The hummingbird clearwing is a moth of the Sphingidae (hawkmoth) family which have a wingspan around two inches, if you can glimpse the moving clear wings as it darts from flower to flower, like this milkweed blossom.
Hummingbird Clearwing Feeding
Bees and butterflies weren’t the only insects enjoying the brief hour of sunshine as this moth was busy collecting nectar too. Virginia Ctenucha is the largest and most broad-winged of wasp moths in North America and the day-flying moth is very common in Wisconsin.
Moth Collecting Nectar
The daytime flight habits of this insect may cause some to think it is a butterfly, but feathery antenna and folded back tent-like shape of the wings tell you it is a moth. The Virginia Ctenucha moth is one of the largest moths in a group called “wasp moths”. Despite its name, this species is more commonly found in the northeastern United States and southern Canada than in Virginia, which represents the southern boundary of its range although it has begun to expand westward and can now be found west of the Rocky Mountains. Adults feed on nectar during the day, and are considered good pollinators, while the caterpillars feed on grasses.
Virginia Ctenucha Moth
