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These photos are of the Monarch (Danaus plexippus), very common during the spring and fall migration season (but I’ve seen them pretty much all year long). We planted some milkweed for their larvae to munch on, and we enjoy watching them go through their life cycle (as seen in the photos to the right). Unfortunately, this species is becoming endangered because of pesticides and habitat loss along its migration route.
This is a Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae). They are almost as common here as Monarchs. The open wings display a lot more orange around the white spots.
This is a Giant Swallowtail Heraclides cresphontes). We have several species of Swallowtails in our area, and they are all very large (palm-sized).
The top two photos are of male Eastern Tiger Swallowtails (Pterourus glaucus). Notice that the second one has quite a bit more black in its abdomen and blue in its hindwings. I wonder if this is age related. Another interesting coloration fact is that some of the females have developed a mimicry adaptation: they look almost identical to the distasteful Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor). The bottom image is of a female Tiger Swallowtail with this mimicry coloration.
Here is another mimic of the Pipevine Swallowtail. It's a Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus), photographed in the dark one early morning when I was heading to school. Notice that it has two chains of red spots on the underwing. The Pipevine has only one chain of red spots.
Sorry this photo is so blurry, but it's the only one I've been able to get so far of a real Pipevine Swallowtail in our yard.
Here is a Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis), so-named because on the underside of the wing is a tiny little silver question mark.
This is a Tawny Emperor (Asterocampa clyton). They rarely visit flowers, but instead get their nutrients from tree sap, rotting fruit, dung, and carrion.
A Texan Crescentspot (Anthanassa texana).
This is a Long-Tailed Skipper (Urbanus proteus).
An unknown species, but I do know it's one of the more than 250 species of Skippers in North America (like the Long-Tailed Skipper a few photos earlier). I've read that they sometimes absorb nutrients from bird droppings, but this one also appeared to be laying eggs in it.
This is some type of Hairstreak, possibly a Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), though I'm not certain on the species (there are dozens, and most look very similar to each other).
Another Hairstreak, possibly a Dusky-Blue Groundstreak (Calycopis isobeon).
This a Polyphemus Moth (Antherea polyphemus). They're as big as Swallowtail Butterflies- wider than your palm when the wings are spread wide like this. The hind wings have some really cool eyespots that are almost entirely covered up in this photo, unfortunately. UPDATE: I photographed another individual, which was rather tattered but had the spots visible. That photo is below.
Here is another particularly large moth: an Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis imperialis). I think it may have just recently emerged from its chrysalis when I first found it, because it was extremely docile. When it finally tried to fly, it took it a few failed attempts before it got the hang of things and spiraled higher and higher into the night.
Yet another of our giant moths: this one a Black Witch (Ascalapha odorata). There's lots of folklore about these involving death, but also wealth- if one is seen above your doorstep, you're sure to win the lottery. Only I didn't. Darn.
Here is a Tersa Sphinx moth (Xylophanes tersa). Sphinx moths are also known as Hummingbird Moths because their large size and appearance make them look like hummingbirds as they sip nectar from flowers.
This is a Banded Sphinx (Eumorpha fasciatus).
This monstrous creature is called a Tobacco Hornworm, but it's really the caterpillar of the Carolina Sphinx Moth (Manduca sexta), seen as an adult on the right. Despite the fearsome appearance of the "horn" on the posterior tip of the caterpillar, it is completely harmless.
This is an Ailanthus Webworm Moth (Atteva aurea) that I photographed clinging to the outside of our window one night.
This is a Fir Tussock Moth (Atteva aurea). Their caterpillars are quite plentiful at times, and quite recognizable with their dark black "antennae" and white poofs. I need to add a picture...
These are caterpillars of Armyworm Moths. The two on the right are both Yellow-striped Armyworms (Spodoptera ornithogalli), just different ages. They were eating my pepper plants!
These are tubeworm moths. I don't know what species the one above is, but the one to the right is the Frilly Grass Tubeworm Moth (Acrolophis mycetophagus).
This is an Ilia Underwing (Catocala ilia), named for the bright yellow, orange, or red hind wing that's normally covered by the front wing.
An Ilia Underwing caterpillar.
This is a Forest Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria). They're often quite numerous during our summer months. Unlike other tent caterpillars they don't make tents, but rather weave large sheets of webbing where they gather to molt.
This large caterpillar, nicknamed a "Wooly Bear", is the larva of a Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia), which is a type of Tiger Moth. So many different names!
Another cute and furry fellow, a "Yellow Wooly Bear", the larva of a Virginia Tiger Moth (Spilosoma virginica). That's an adult one, below.
This is a Salt Marsh Moth (Estigmene acrea). They have a flashy bright yellow-orange abdomen that's barely visible here between the wings.
A Laugher Moth (Charadra deridens).
Here's a moth that's disguised as bird droppings, so that it won't get eaten! It's called an Exposed Bird Dropping Moth (Tarache aprica).
A Green Oak-Slug Moth (Euclea incisa).
A Dusky Herpatogramma (Herpatogramma phaeopteralis).
I don't know what kind of moth this is, but it has a cool wing pattern that probably offers excellent camouflage when resting on tree bark.
This is called a Mint-loving Pyrausta Moth (Pyrausta acrionalis). It had a coppery irridescence to it that caught my eye.
A Green Cloverworm Moth (Hypena scabra).
This is probably some kind of Clothes Moth, from the family Tineidae. I found it inside, where its larvae was probably eating holes in things that we didn't want it to.
Here's another moth that you don't want to find a lot of in your home. It's the Indian Meal Moth (Plodia interpunctella), the larva of which can infest your pantry and ruin the grains (rice, oats, flour, etc.) that you have stored there.
This is a Bent-lined Carpet Moth (Costaconvexa centrostrigaria). Their name doesn't come from a habit of eating carpets, but rather because their wings reminded someone of the fancy traditional carpets of Asia and the Middle East.
When I first noticed this fellow on my wall I thought it was a love bug, or maybe a lightning bug (firefly), but it turned out to be a Yellow-collared Scape Moth (Cisseps fulvicollis). They can often be seen visiting flowers during the daytime.
This is some type of Litter Moth (subfamily Erebidae), named for their dining preference of decomposing leaf litter.
An unidentified moth with a pretty remarkable appearance: mimicking a crinkled, dried-up leaf.
Some other unidentified moths:
This is an Asp, which is the caterpillar of the Southern Flannel Moth (Megalopyge opercularis). It may be the most dangerous caterpillar in North America. The hairs are extremely venomous, and will leave you with a deep, throbbing, burning sensation that has sent some people to the hospital.
Below are some unidentified caterpillars:
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