Blogging helps me share things with people. My goal is for you to see something that brings a smile to you.

Monday, October 7, 2013

Can you help me figure out this moth on a pumpkin?

This time of year I get busy by doing volunteer work in a pumpkin patch.  All the profits we make goes towards local organization geared towards helping families and especially children.  In fact the main reason for the pumpkin patch is for the kids to enjoy.  I mostly do the discovery center and the story time.

  This year while selecting my pumpkins to be used I saw this unusual moth on a pumpkin and just had to take some images of it with my cellphone.  Aren't cellphones great?
This one was the first one I got and realized it wasn't the greatest but I thought that pumpkin was pretty good looking and so am including it.
 I tried a different angle- better; but still wasn't happy with it.
  I thought maybe if I tried looking down. No still not good.
  I got this one which was better but the strap got in the way. Maybe I can crop it.

Here it is cropped

 Then I got down on my hands and knees and finally was able to get this shot.  And was pleased with it.
 I even tried zooming in on it and got this one.  Usually when I zoom in its to blurry to use so I was surprised this one turned out as well as it did.
 A friend saw me acting unusual and wanted to know what I was doing and I showed him the moth.  He wanted to see it too but didn't want to bend down.  Instead he said if it is a moth it wont fly off during the day and so he went ahead and moved it up onto some other pumpkins to see it better. 
 He definitely thought it was different looking. 
Now we are trying to figure out what type it is.  Having it against an orange background helps.
I went to moths on Wikipedia and it looks like a leaf shaped one that they showed.  Moths . I then went to the list of moths and went through that whole list and couldn't find it.
    If anyone knows what this is I would love to find out its name.

3 comments:

  1. Hello from the UK! I came across your excellent blog after Googling the words 'pumpkin' and 'moth' in advance of posting something Hallowe'enish on my own blog which is all about moths (be warned - you need to be keen...) It's at www.martinsmoths.blogspot.com

    I think your impressive moth is Xylophanes tersa or the Tersa Sphinx moth about which you'll find plenty online. I wish I could find one on one of our (much smaller pumpkins).

    While commenting, could I ask permission to use one of your pics on my blog for Hallowe'en, with full crediting? I'd be very grateful. Last year I used a YouTube film about a cat called Pumpkin and a moth which I note still rides high when you Google the two words.

    All warm wishes and congrats to you and your colleagues on your pumpkin project

    Martin Wainwright, Oxford, UK

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for helping me figure what this moth is.
      You definitely have my permission to use these images. I like sharing them with other people.
      I'm glad you've enjoyed this blog.
      This is rockhound. I'm using my cellphone and it's treating me like a visitor to the blog, if you look on the one column I give people permission to use it as long as it's not for commercial use.

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  2. You need to ask our friend "Mack" at church. He is the bug man. Beautiful pictures.

    ............................Judy

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