Follow _CabinGirl on Twitter

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Teensy, And I Mean Teensy, Orange Moth


I wish I could tell you how teensy, tiny this moth is. Well, I can I guess, in two ways:
1) it's wingspan ranges from 10-17mm (which means the max span is just over a half inch, much smaller than a pearly crescent or checkerspot)
2) that's a normal size snapdragon head that it's sitting on in the photo

I first noticed it a week or so ago and could never get a shot of it. It was constantly in motion, and when it did land, it tended to land in the shade. In the shade of runaway mint that's the scourge of our front garden bed. Hmmm... maybe that's why it's called the Orange Mint Moth! It's also been called the Orange-spotted Pyrausta (Pyrausta orphisalis). Its larvae enjoy members of the mint family including monarda.

Incredibly common, but at the same time not a lot of info on the internet about this species. It's found pretty much throughout the U.S. and Canada, except for the West Coast.

If I could've snapped a better photo of it, you'd notice it's a snout-nosed moth. I'll add that to my to-do list!


1 comment:

  1. i"m sending you a link to a blog about moths, and dragonflies, maybe you already know it:, http://calderdalemoths.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete