Director of Horticulture at RSABG Befriends Moth

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Does anyone out there know what kind of moth this is? These pictures were taken today at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont, CA. When first seeing this moth, it looked like a dead leaf that had gotten caught on a plant. Notice the reddish streaks on the lower wings. (It seems that this may be big poplar sphinx moth, Pachysphinx occidentalis – see comment below.) Also, check the website in the comments.

From Wild Suburbia

From Wild Suburbia

From Wild Suburbia

From Wild Suburbia

From Wild Suburbia

From Wild Suburbia
From Wild Suburbia

From Wild Suburbia

From Wild Suburbia

From Wild Suburbia

From Wild Suburbia

From Wild Suburbia

From Wild Suburbia

4 thoughts on “Director of Horticulture at RSABG Befriends Moth

  1. i love this series! so cute and amazing!

  2. thanks lizzie

  3. I only know a handful of moths and unfortunately this isn’t one of them. While it’s gone some great subtle colors going on, it doesn’t look like the woman modeling the moth is so appreciative…<br /><br />Do you know the Butterflies and Moths of North America site (http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/)? There might be an answer on its ID there.

  4. James – thanks for the site. I do know it. In fact, I think I now know what the moth is. It was suggested to me by the lepidopterist(I never thought I would be able to use this word!) in Utah that it might be a poplar moth. I searched that name on the butterflies website and it does look like big poplar sphinx moth (Pachysphinx occidentalis). Pretty cool!

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