Marvelous moths

Sometimes confused with butterflies, most moths are nocturnal, making their presence known during the declining light of dusk or later.

The hummingbird moth is a different sort of creature that feeds during daylight hours. It is sometimes mistaken for a baby hummingbird, since its shape and movement are similar. This beautiful moth is approximately two inches in length, with an olive-colored body that has red bands across the abdomen and mostly clear wings. The caterpillar consumes plants such as black cherry, honeysuckle and viburnum, while adults use a long thin needle-like proboscis to dip deeply into flowers for their nectar, making them useful pollinators.

The milkweed tussock moth is a rather plain moth with gray wings and an abdomen that is yellow with black spots. Its larva, the harlequin caterpillar (shown above), is a visual delight. Larvae feed on milkweed plants and are often fed upon by big brown bats. They deter such predators by mimicking clicking sounds emitted by other foul-tasting moths.

The ornate tiger moth is easily recognized for the remarkable ivory and black “stained glass” pattern that appears on its fore wings. Hind wings are salmon-toned with black spots. The large fuzzy caterpillars of tiger moths are called woolly bears. They may be black, brown, or yellow and black.

Like butterflies, moths undergo complete metamorphosis, passing through four stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Adult lifespan ranges from as short as a few days up to several months in species that overwinter as adults.