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In the eye of the beholder

I doubt if I’ve ever before had the opportunity to make the acquaintance of a creature whose formal first name is “Beautiful.”

I found that appellation particularly curious because, to my eyes, Beautiful is not. What it is is a very strange looking moth: the Beautiful Wood Nymph Moth.

Longtime readers may remember that many close-up photographs are taken at the bathroom window for, better or worse, I tend to see much of my flying wildlife up close from the underside. I relished the summer of the constant spiders (where have they all gone?) and see very little to interest me beyond one small white moth that was glorious indeed – especially when it spread its shimmering white wings.

But “Eudryas grata Fabricus” could get the blue ribbon for oddest appearance. Instead of delicate moth-like legs, this looks like a bug on steroids. The front legs are as “muscular” as those of a furry well-fed frog, ending in bulky mitten with feelers extending beyond those. The antennae remain folded against its body and usually aren’t seen. The wings, proportionally long, extend back beyond from where I presume the head must be.

If you really want the particulars: There is a smooth olive green line between the white area on his forewing and the brown band which is not scalloped while the brown edge of the hind leg stops short of the apex.

I had certainly never seen anything like it, cause to grab camera quickly and send a query to Mark Baldwin who continues to have ALL the information right at his fingertips.

Checking Family Noctuidae in the Audubon “Insects and Spiders,” I learned much less about moths than anticipated. Every line seems to be an either or: most are dull-colored but some have brightly colored wings; most have wingspans less that 5.0 mm (2 inches) but a few reach 150 mm (5 7/8 inches). Most caterpillars are smooth or only sparsely hairy but some are densely hairy. Some bore into stems and roots, others feed on decayed matter while yet others are cannibalistic. Look below the soil — or not. Most are nocturnal but some fly during the daylight hours. Many feed on fermenting tree sap or decaying fruit while others go for flower nectar. Some don’t feed at all.

I am so glad Mark knew of what he spoke. My search was hardly helpful at all.

Flying north in May, obviously into our area, it never needs a round trip ticket. But, while it is up and flying, you can observe it (if you’re lucky) from Nova Scotia to Florida, west to Minnesota and down to Texas. It likes buttonbush, grapes, hops and Virginia creeper and has a population “secure.”

Besides looking very, very strange (and I couldn’t be convinced it would be much better viewed from its upper side), it has a second name which is definitely not so lovely.

To remain “family friendly” I’d like to quote from one of the articles I did find on the web:

“‘Beautiful’ is actually part of his name, and not just my opinion of him. . . Despite his name, this moth has a habit that is not so beautiful – several websites I consulted explained that his markings are meant to make him look like a bird dropping. They must mean when his wings are down, because I have never seen a bird dropping sticking up like he does.”

And something I did miss from my underside view: “The feet add to the ‘splat’ illusion, especially when viewed from above.”

I doubt if I’d welcome Beautiful on my chair but it was a fascinating find at my window.

Susan Crossett has lived outside Cassadaga for more than 20 years. A lifetime of writing led to these columns as well as two novels. Her Reason for Being was published in 2008 with Love in Three Acts following in 2014. Information on all the Musings, her books and the author may be found at Susancrossett.com.

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