Rattle Box Moth (a.k.a. Bella Moth, Inornate Moth, Calico Moth; Utetheisa ornatrix) perched on a Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens/Sabal serrulata) leaf - Turtle Mound Archeological site, Canaveral National Seashore (north), Turtle Mound Road, Eldora, Florida
There were dozens of these guys flitting around across the road from the Turtle Mound Parking area, and I was lucky enough to find a few willing to pose for some photos.
Tags: KH0831 Florida moth Lepidoptera insect Macro Eukaryota Animalia Arthropoda Insecta ThousandPlus 1000+ Nature
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Plume Moth (Geina sheppardi) on Purple Milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens) - The Orange Trail, The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Wilderness Area, Gillette, New Jersey
This is the first time I've seen one of these, and now that I've seen it I wonder if I've been missing them because in my mind's eye I'd envisioned them as being much larger.
This image gives a pretty good idea on size since the milkweed blossoms it's feeding on are less than ¼ inch in size which makes the moth a skosh bigger than ½ inch from wingtip to wingtip.
I was hoping to get a better view of the moth, but after glancing at my camera settings, I looked up and it was gone. I know some folks claim they can keep one eye on their subject and one eye on their camera, but it's a trick I've yet to master! :{(
Tags: KH0831 TheGreatSwamp 2011 Flora Great Swamp Swamp WildernessArea NJ moth Lepidoptera insect Macro New Jersey New Jersey Eukaryota Animalia Arthropoda Insecta Nature
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Spring Azure mating Pair (Celastrina lucia form marginata) - The Orange Trail, The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Wilderness Area, New Jersey
View On Black
These guys are very spooky, but when coupled during mating they are much more approachable.
In this image you can see the female is quite a bit larger than the male, which makes carrying all those eggs around a little easier.
Tags: KH0831 TheGreatSwamp Great Swamp Swamp WildernessArea Butterfly NJ Lepidoptera insect Macro New Jersey New Jersey Eukaryota Animalia Arthropoda Insecta Nature
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White Peacock - Black Point Drive, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Tittusville, Florida
Who needs a pretty flower when you got this guy?
Well, OK it mighta been better if it were perched on a flower,
but I takes what I gets.
Tags: KH0831 Florida Butterfly Lepidoptera insect Blackpoint Macro 300mm 300mm+1.4xTC Eukaryota Animalia Arthropoda Insecta Nature
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Clymene Moth (Haploa clymene; Hodges #8107) - The Blue Trail Wilderness Area, The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, New Jersey
I spooked this guy while walking the Blue Trail and was quite impressed by the bright orange color of its under-wings when it flew. It landed in the dead leaves where I got some ensurance shots, and I then spooked it a couple of time to see if I could get it to land with its under-wings exposed. I had no luck with that, but did eventually get it to land on a live plant instead of the dead leaf litter.
Tags: KH0831 TheGreatSwamp WildernessArea Simthsonian NJ moth ThousandPlus Lepidoptera insect Macro 1000+ Top 1000 xplr New Jersey New Jersey Eukaryota Animalia Arthropoda Insecta Nature
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