Things have been quiet here for quite a while – mostly because I’ve been inundated with work (always a good thing). But I have also recently joined the party eight years late to the Twitter train. For daily images of cool insects please follow me over there @skepticalmoth. Of course some stories require . . . → Read More: Follow me on Twitter
 Comments are closed  Entomology, Science News  Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Entomology, Lepidoptera, Media, Microlepidoptera, Moths, Photography, Skepticism, Twitter
Today’s moth is a beautiful species from the Rocky Mountains outside of Denver, Epermenia stolidota (Epermeniidae). This is actually a larger specimen than it appears, about 20mm from wingtip to wingtip. Those raised, darkened, tufts of scales on the posterior edge of the forewing is a great character for this . . . → Read More: Monday Moth Share this! Comments are closed Entomology Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Entomology, Lepidoptera, Microlepidoptera, Monday Moth, Rocky Mountains
This week I’m sharing a tiny, scruffy, and semi-competently spread Nepticulidae in the genus Stigmella from the same light trap of Prescott Arizona as the past few Monday Moths. I usually wouldn’t share a photo of a moth that isn’t in the best condition, but I’m using this as an example of . . . → Read More: Monday Moth Share this! Comments are closed Entomology Arizona, Lepidoptera, Microlepidoptera, Monday Moth, Nepticulidae, New Species, Spreading Moths
This moth is a good example of what a lot of my moths are at the moment – unidentified! This is certainly a Gelechiidae, you can see the large upturned palps on the front of the head, and a finger-shaped projection on the tips of the hindwings. Just about one of the easiest . . . → Read More: Monday Moth Share this! 5 comments - (Comments are closed) Entomology Arizona, Entomology, Gelechiidae, Lepidoptera, Microlepidoptera, Monday Moth, Moths, Unidentified Today’s moth is a stunning micro and another creature from Barb Bartell’s back yard in the Rockies. To the best of my knowledge it’s a species of Mompha (Coleophoridae), probably claudiella,but I don’t have a positive ID on this bug yet. Once I start digging through the micros from this site there are sure to . . . → Read More: Monday Moth Share this! 2 comments - (Comments are closed) Entomology Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Entomology, Lepidoptera, Microlepidoptera, Monday Moth, Moths The first annual National Moth Week will be this summer, July 23-29, 2012! This is the first event of its kind in the US (it has been popular in the UK for quite some time) and is an attempt to encourage people to head outside and explore their often overlooked moth fauna. The US has . . . → Read More: National Moth Week 2012 Share this! Comments are closed Entomology, Science News Citizen Science, Collecting, Conservation, Entomology, Lepidoptera, Microlepidoptera, Moths, National Moth Week, Photography Everyone is likely familiar with the standard model for a moth or butterfly – a straw-like proboscis to reach nectar hidden within flowers. The vast majority of the Lepidoptera have diversified alongside the radiation of angiosperm plants, becoming one of the most diverse and abundant orders of life on earth. This paradigm however does not . . . → Read More: Diversification of Moths with Teeth Share this! One comment - (Comments are closed) Entomology Allopatric, Entomology, Evolution, Japan, Lepidoptera, Microlepidoptera, Micropterigidae, Moths, Speciation
This week’s moth is a video of a dancing micro from the Philippines (taken by Warren Laurde). As you might suspect this is a mating display that ends in a pretty spectacular headstand. There are lots of other microleps that have dancing or display behavior, but there are almost no other videos online . . . → Read More: Monday Moth Share this! 3 comments - (Comments are closed) Entomology Behavior, Entomology, Lepidoptera, Mating, Microlepidoptera, Moths, Philippines
The family Nepticulidae hold some of the smallest moths known, ranging from 3-8mm wing-tip to wing-tip. For a comparison I have imaged two moths above: the largest known – Coscinocera hercules that tips the scales at nearly 9 inches, and one of the smallest (yes that tiny little speck . . . → Read More: The tiniest of moths Share this! 7 comments - (Comments are closed) Entomology Entomology, Lepidoptera, Microlepidoptera, Moths, Nepticulidae, New Species, Paleontology, Pests |
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