Bug Experts Unite.... What is this??

[SC_SVRider]

After getting home from school last night I happened to look at the window in the kitchen and noticed this not-so-little bugger (look at the camera in the window compared to the bug) peeking in the window at Shawn and myself. It seems to have some really distinct markings (almost butterfly-ish) on it, but we couldn't place it. Does anyone know what it is? A moth??

 

 

 

 

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

Mothra?

 

 

Just kiddin.

Looks like a Luna moth. The forewings on yours look a little droopy, but there seems to be a little bit of variance, so I suppose that's not unreasonable:

 

 

 

Those pics are shamelessly stolen from Wikipedia, but I did see one of these flittering around the light on my front porch a few years ago. The huge shadow caught my eye, and I thought maybe it was a bat or bird chasing bugs around the light, and then I saw Mothra out there.

[SC_SVRider]

As with all Saturniidae, the adults do not eat or have mouths. They emerge as adults solely to mate, and as such, only live approximately one week.

 

What a life!

 

Thanks for finding that for me Mitch... Very interesting.

[SC_SVRider]

Here's another picture it shows some color and a little closer, although it's pretty blurry.

 

 

It was probably calling out to us..."Feed me! I'm gonna die!" and we were taking pictures of it!

[mickey05]

Luna moth. We see them every once in a while here in Western NY.

[Scribner]

We get luna moths in the summer around angel trumpet flowers in the back yard.

[Francois_Dumas]

Thought it looked like a flyfish......

[tallman]

Tastes great,

 

Luna Moth Recipes

[Mark K]

There can be significant color variations, but that is most certainly a Luna Moth.