The Underappreciated Beauty of Moths

By: Bristol

A variety of pen-and-ink Pacific Northwest moths

Moths are an underappreciated bunch. Although we are usually only familiar with them as the doomed orbiters of nighttime lights or eater of woolen garments, moths are a huge and diverse group worthy of a closer look.

Disclaimer: I am not a moth expert. Far from it. Very, very far from it. Moth species outnumber butterflies 10 to 1 (or about 160,000 moth species to 18,500 butterfly species), and most moths are smallish and grayish, so moth ID is therefore notoriously difficult. My recent interest in moths was sparked by the appearance in my life of two stunning specimens: a pair of Ceanothus giant silk moths on a building I worked at in western Washington. These beauties are about six inches wingtip to wingtip, massive for a moth. They are strikingly but subtly colored, a wash of warm red-brown punctuated by large pale check-shaped marks. Their large and fuzzy bodies are striped widely in cream and brick red, and their antennae are comically large and feathery. Both Ceanothus moths clung to the side of the lodge for several days before I, fearing that someone or some bird would injure them, moved them to the relative safety of a tree. About a month later, another giant silk moth made an appearance- a Polyphemus silk moth. I was celebrating the end of the season with friends when I saw it flapping against the window. Making a poor choice based on my previous experience with more lethargic silk moths, I decided to try and hold it. The moth promptly escaped into the kitchen, and chaos ensued. It was eventually recaptured with a butterfly net and released back outside, where he clung to the wall, somewhat traumatized. I do not recommend attempting to capture these moths-they are large enough to injure themselves in captivity, and I will not do so again.

But these two magnificent moths had awakened my curiosity. Armed with a phone camera and a guide to insects of the Pacific Northwest, I went in search of nocturnal lepidopterans.

If you choose to look for them, beautiful moths are everywhere. Even the dull brown ones reveal lacy intricacies close-up, or tufty little rhino horns, or a surprising flash of color. Here, I present some of the moths we’ve noticed since we started trying to notice them. I highly recommend it.

One of my favorite families is Erebidae: the Tiger Moths. These guys tend to have fuzzy, compact bodies and hold their wings folded down. They also encompass some of the most beautiful moths:

Top: Yellow-spotted tiger moth in Longbranch, WA. Top center: Cinnabar moth, Columbia River Estuary, WA. An invasive from Europe, it is now found in the northwest US and northeastern Canada. Top Right: Wild forget-me-not moth, CA. Bottom Left: Ornate tiger moth, CA. Bottom center: Isabella tiger moth, Astoria, OR. Their caterpillar is the familiar banded woolybear. Bottom Right: Brown tiger moth, Astoria OR. This moth is found only in the extreme northwestern US.

Other notable moths:

A pale beauty-Campaea perlata. Not much is known about this species, but they can be found across the US, less commonly in the great plains.

Unfortunately, this is an invasive species-the European Yellow Underwing or Noctua pronuba. Accidentally brought to eastern Canada in 1979, it has since spread across the US and into British Columbia. It feeds on weedy plants and lawns. This one was found near a porch light in Bellingham, WA.

Large looper moth- Autographa ampla. Relatively uncommon, it likes wet-ish areas near Douglas firs. This one was by a porch light in western Washington. My attention was caught by its little tufty rhino horn and the delicate brown and gray designs on the forewings.

This is a sad Green Zebra moth-Feralia februalis. I lifted it some nearby bushes, but it was likely near death. Moths don't often live very long, just enough to mate and lay eggs.

This beautiful coloring likely helps this species camouflage among lichens.

Mesoleuca gratulata-western white-ribboned carpet moth. Although I couldn't find anything to substantiate this, my personal observation is that this moth resembles bird poop, and this is likely a ploy to keep from being eaten in the daytime.

Palthis angularis, the dark-spotted Palthis. A dull name for a hilarious moth. Look at that ridiculous snout! This moth was found near my porch light in western Oregon, and makes the fourth BAMONA record of the species in the Pacific Northwest.

Palthis is in the Erebidae family, which also includes the tiger moths.

My other favorite family is Saturniidae, the giant silk moths or Atlas moths. Once these moths metamorphose from caterpillar to moth, they have no mouthparts, and are dependent on the fat reserves they built up as larvae. They may only live a few days to a few weeks, and must use the time to find a mate and produce another generation of silk moths.

The Ceanothus silk moth is found only on the west coast of the US, and is the largest moth in the region. The larvae primarily feed on plants in the Ceanothus genus, hence the common name. Another name for this species is the Nike moth, for the hindwing markings.

The Polyphemus silk moth is found throughout the US, although it tends to be less common in the great plains. Adults emerge from their coccoons and mate and lay eggs in the same day. The rest of their lives are a short senescence.

The Luna moth is found only in the eastern US, although the genus Actias is found all over the world. Our picture was taken in Japan, and is likely the Japanese moon moth, Actias artemis, a close relative of the american luna moth, Actias luna.

Moths are a largely unnoticed part of ecosystems, if only because our respective waking schedules are at odds. I encourage you to scrutinize your lights at night, because you're sure to find some subtly beautiful moths.

For further reading, we've included some moth resources:

For general moth and butterfly information and identification, BAMONA is invaluable. It also allows you to post sightings and keep a record of your butterflies and moths. Citizen science!

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/

For Pacific Northwest moths, this site is amazing. It includes color plates of every species in the region.

http://pnwmoths.biol.wwu.edu/

This site gives some tips on finding moths in your own backyard.

https://www.keepinginsects.com/butterfly/catching-wild-moths/