Moth that looks like a hummingbird

Some moths are beautiful.

I saw one of these in Northern Ontario.

R1, Luna moths are my favorite!

This is my favorite moth. It's huge, and I've only seen it once, in New Mexico.

I love that nature has evolved a sense of aesthetics.

This thread should reach 600 posts in no time, given that moths are attracted to flamers.

WW to OP for originality.

I was on the A train during a brutal heat wave one night and there was a commotion at the other end of the car. People were screaming and laughing and I thought there was a bat on the train but it was a 6-inch silk moth. The poor thing was in a panic flying from spot to spot. A young guy with his girlfriend overreacted every time it passed his way and the entire train was laughing hysterically. Several people could have smashed it but didn't. Finally, it came my way and I was prepared with a plastic bag filled with air. He landed on my lap and I gently put him inside. It was about the most joyous group activity that's happened to me on the subway in my 50 years of riding it. We all needed to catch our breaths, from laughing so much and it was about 100 degrees inside and out.

The funniest part, after the moth was safe an aggressive militant lez wrestled control of the bag from me. I could tell she wanted to make sure that the thing was safe and I wasn't going to feed it to my pet iguana. I know she was envious that it came to me and not her, moth envy.

I really love moths and butterflies if I don't look at them too hard. If I look at them too hard they unfortunately give me the creeps. I have no idea why. They're so beautiful, such variety but kind of creepy.

Doll face alert, moth edition.

[quote] I really love moths and butterflies if I don't look at them too hard. If I look at them too hard they unfortunately give me the creeps. I have no idea why. They're so beautiful, such variety but kind of creepy.

r6 Lol. When we were kids my sister was terrified of moths.

Personally I have no problem with any insect as long as it's clean and stays away from garbage, dead animals, dog shit, and my dinner.

ha, I am not terrified of moths/butterflies r8 but I do get your sister as I am terrified of spiders. It's a ridiculous and inexplicable phobia. I think if I look at moths/butterflies too long I get creeped by their probicuses (sp?). And their fuzziness a little bit. Aren't there vampire moths, butterflies that live on tears and butterflies that eat meat? They're absolutely fascinating.

R7 that moth is ready to play Mame

On the probicus note, I think that is what cemented luna moths to the top of my list - they're certainly beautiful and, they have no functional proboscis because they have no mouths.

The first time I went to White Flower Farm in CT, and as I was walking around admiring all the lovely plants I heard a whirring/buzzing sound. I thought it might've been a hummingbird(because you usually hear those things before spot them) but it turned out to be one of these hybrid-named insects. Took me awhile to actually see it, but it kept up with its thrumming(?) the entire search. It put on an amazing show nectaring at some beautiful purple lantana.

Thanks to r1 for the pic of the Luna Moth. Does anyone remember the tv commercial from a few years ago that used one of these ethereal beauties in it?

r9 It was those big gray moths which flutter around lights at night which really scared my sister. Lol.

Personally, I like spiders. They kill pests.

My phobia has always been big gnarly houseflies. And cockroaches creep me out. Filthy creatures.

But butterflies drink nectar. That's so charming.

they also eat meat, tears, poop and blood r13! I am also repulsed by the filthy brand of bugs. and millipedes.

[...]

r14 Yeah, I know there are some bizarre species of butterflies and moths which eat carrion and animal excrement. But thankfully they're a small minority. Lol.

I mean, I don't like moths who eat holes in my clothes!!! They suck!!! But they're not dirty and they don't carry disease.

We have these butterfly moths here in central Nevada, during the warm months on plants that are in bloom. They are beautiful and harmless. They just go from flower to flower.

^^^^ White-Lined Sphinx Moth. They are pretty dramatic looking. I usually get a few Tomato Hornworm moths that love to nectar on my Jimsonweed blooms at nighttime. Those things are pretty big too.

A hummingbird hawk moth hovers in the air drinking nectar from flowers through a proboscis, its wings humming from rapid movement like hummingbirds. This is a good example of convergent evolution, two entirely different species developing similar features and analogous structures.

This here is evolutionary convergence - when two completely unrelated species evolve to fill the same ecological niche, in this case feeding on the nectar that is right down inside of these flowers

[quote] Thanks to [R1] for the pic of the Luna Moth. Does anyone remember the tv commercial from a few years ago that used one of these ethereal beauties in it?

Was it a Lunesta ad?