There’s a Dogbane Tiger Moth fluttering around me
I’m out in the heat and the noise of a Virginia forest in the summer and I’m suffering. I’ve bought a litre of water but need far more, I’ve put insect repellant on but they’re biting me through my clothes and I’m wading through armpit-high nettles. Yes, it is my idea of a holiday. Thankfully the wildlife here is a delight. There’s a strong-flying moth flying past which lands nearby:
It’s a common moth, but a fabulous one. It’s the Dogbane Tiger Moth, Cycnia tenera:
It’s a moth I’ve never seen before but I’ve studied it in the past; it’s a species which is in biology textbooks as a classic example of poison-warning. It’s the amazing moth which screams in ultrasound when it hears bats approaching and either warns them off or jams their signals. It’s also poisonous, but that’s not much use if a bat’s already killed you. I suspect the white colour also warns birds off, but I can’t tell what it looks like to birds because, unlike them, I can’t see in ultra-violet.
It’s been worth the dehydration and ferocious bites just to see it.
More from Virginia
Red Fox There's an amazing Red Fox which spends its time in the gardens here in Virginia. I'm surprised to see one… read more
Skink in the garden A lunchtime trip to the garden in Virginia and there's a Skink on the path. It's bathing in the hot… read more
Northern Mockingbird Whenever I've heard a bird singing, here in Virginia, and I haven't been able to recognise its song, it's always… read more
Catbird v Cowbird There's an ancient battle being played out in the woods and fields of Virginia. It's Catbird v Cowbird and I… read more
Barn Swallows, Tree Swallows and Bank Swallows I'm surprised to see what I think are Sand Martins here in Virginia. Surely they're not the same species? Then… read more
Red Bellied Woodpecker I've been ever so slightly keen on seeing woodpeckers while I've been in Virginia. They are common here because there… read more
Great Blue Skimmer – Libellula vibrans There's a Great Blue Skimmer dragonfly, Libellula vibrans, at the bottom of this Virginia garden. It's a handsome beast: I… read more
Great Blue Heron in a great grey sky We're relaxing on the rocks at the side of the Potomac River when a Great Blue Heron flies straight past… read more
A Swallowtail butterfly striped like a zebra There's a swallowtail butterfly species I've never seen before fluttering around me. It's too close to focus on. I move… read more