Thursday, August 18, 2011

Creatures in my Backyard | Smiley Face Moth?

Most of what I write in fantasy, takes place out of doors... primitive, undeveloped areas, with rough structures or things carved from rock. The bitter irony is that, for all intents and purposes, I am a city-slicker. I live now in the smallest town I've ever lived in, in a terrain that (five years later) remains mostly strange to me.

I have done research, have watched an unmentionable amount of NatGeo, Discovery, NOVA, etc. However, when it comes to the outdoors, I remain a city boy.

I'm working on it. I took this picture with my phone a week or two ago, been meaning to figure out what it is.

Smiley Face Moth(?) says, "Have a nice day!"

For starters, I have only cropped the photo to show its relative size against the bricks on the home exterior. Colors are unadjusted.

Death's Head Hawkmoth
Image: Wikipedia
If you look on its back, between the wings, behind its head, there looks to be a big ole smiley face. Now, I've heard of Death's head (hawk)moths, but this doesn't appear to be that.

Until I figure out what it is, I'm a gonna call it the smiley face moth.

Is this the most exciting thing I've found in my backyard? No, but it's the only one I managed to get a halfway decent photo of.

Anyone know what this is? Educate a city boy!

5 comments:

  1. I have never been able to get past the eye in the brick.. just sayin!! :p

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  2. It is pretty creepy/strange, huh? I should really go look it up.

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  3. Love this. Been trying to ID a smiley face moth that I took a picture of recently, and came across your blog via a friend. In my search for the species I photographed I have found out about several moths that smile.

    If you do not mind, I would like to have you see my picture at http://www.bubblews.com/news/1101728-smiley-face-moth-what-is-it
    Please, feel free to delete this post, or not.

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  4. I photographed a Smiley Faced Moth recently, and have been trying to find out exactly what species it is. That is amazing how large that moth on the bricks is.

    If you are interested in seeing my photo, maybe you can ID it for me. I sure do want to know. http://www.bubblews.com/news/1101728-smiley-face-moth-what-is-it

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  5. Hi Susie. I was unable to identify this moth or the one in your link - however, that was a very cool pic and I appreciate you sharing here. Maybe one day someone will stumble upon either of these posts and provide some answers. :-)

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