Saturday, September 26, 2009

Chickweed Geometer Moth - Male (Haematopis grataria)




The plumose (featherlike) antennae indicates this is a male. Females have filiform (threadlike) antennae. (Photo taken on 8/22/09.)


Species information from BugGuide:

Range: Found throughout the United States and a large part of central Canada.

Habitat: Fields, meadows, lawns, gardens; adults often fly during the day.

Season: Peak flight time is August but adults may be seen from May through October.

Food: Larvae feed on chickweed, smartweed/knotweed, clover, and other low plants.

Wingspan: 20-25 mm.

Identification: Adult: forewing dull yellow with two pink bands crossing outer half of wing, and pink discal spot in median area.


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9 comments:

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Great photo Marvin. You even got the feathery anteanne.

Lana Gramlich said...

WAYYYY too ironic. I was just at another blog featuring the same moth (also male,) in a very similar pose (although in the person's kitchen.) What are the odds???

laughingwolf said...

nice one, marvin... is that fly, lower right, munching on that wing?

SAPhotographs (Joan) said...

This is such a pretty one Marvin. And the bug at the end of its wing?

Marvin said...

Lisa: Female moths emit pheromones; males "smell" with their antenna. The larger the antenna, the better they can smell, the greater their success rate in finding a female.

Lana: Well.... The same moths tend to appear at the same time of year, but still... The odds are quite high.

Laughingwolf: The little critter is a midge of some sort and it's just hanging around, not eating. At times, there are gillions of midges and related tiny bugs swarming around the porch light whilst I'm trying to take photos of moths. Keeping them out of my eyes, ears and nose is difficult.

Joan: There are 817 North American midge species in 139 genera, plus who knows how many species yet to be described. I really haven't gotten into trying to ID them yet, though it does sound like a good job for my spare time. I could name the new species I discover after all my blog visitors. Maybe in my next lifetime.

Anonymous said...

Nice photo. I would have had to look him up too.

We did have a nice Wheel bug here yesterday. He is on

http://abelincolnblogs.blogspot.com/

if you are interested in more bugs.

Dave said...

Kewl. I've always wondered what those ones were.

Birdy Official said...

Thanks Marvin for the post. This helped me in recognition, as I already took some pictures of this moth.

Louise said...

Incredible color.