Comment #41186

Posted by Nick (Matzke) on August 4, 2005 12:00 AM (e)

Happy Anniversiary. That bug is pretty cool. No idea what it is, but active background matching is not unknown in moths.

See this cool page on background matching by Catocala relicta. This page was done by underwing moth (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) expert Ted Sargent, when he wasn’t saying silly things about Kettlewell and peppered moths.

(Parenthetically, peppered moths are geometrid moths – it appears peppered moths do not show active seeking of matching backgrounds, unlike Sargent’s underwings and your little beige guy there. Peppered moths apparently mostly look for a sheltered spot under a branch or branch-trunk joint.)

Speaking of confused bugs, check out this discussion of this paper:

Gwynne, DT and Rentz, DCF. (1983). “Beetles on the bottle: male buprestids mistake stubbies for females (Coleoptera).” Journal of the Australian Entomological Society. 22: 79-80.

Apparently, in Australia:

Male Julodimorpha have been seen attempting copulation with beer bottles; the color of the bottle and the pitting at its base apparently mimic the color and texture of the elytra [wing case].

I conjecture that this is the fundamental reason that Australian PT denizen John Wilkins is so skeptical of the Biological Species Concept.

Comment #41188

Posted by RBH on August 4, 2005 12:46 AM (e)

Nick wrote

I conjecture that this is the fundamental reason that Australian PT denizen John Wilkins is so skeptical of the Biological Species Concept.

Judging from private reports of the various Howlerfests during his march (?) through North America, he may well be a significant source of the bottles those poor deluded bugs are trying to mate with.

RBH

Comment #41195

Posted by SEF on August 4, 2005 3:05 AM (e)

The yellow and blue-green stripes are quite extraordinary and very much against the otherwise beige leafy/parchment camouflage effect. I suppose there must be an optimum distance and setting for which those stripes become cunningly helpful. There are no stripy ones like that in my UK books though.

Comment #41198

Posted by Louis on August 4, 2005 3:52 AM (e)

[creatobabble on]

Oh come on Reed, we all know, having read many creationist tracts, that moths don’t rest on tree trunks or any conveniently coloured object. Obviously your photo is a fake and therefore: GODDIDIT.

[creatobabble off]

Comment #41224

Posted by Dave S. on August 4, 2005 8:07 AM (e)

Reed,

I dunno what it is, but may I suggest you visit whatsthatbug.com.

Comment #41232

Posted by Russell on August 4, 2005 9:19 AM (e)

I don’t know. But I do know that since that weather-stripping is intelligently designed any point you’re trying to make about mutation/selection is moot.

And it’s still a moth!

Comment #41241

Posted by DougT on August 4, 2005 10:32 AM (e)

Reed-

I believe that your moth is a Florida Tussock Moth (Halysida cinctipes). Covell’s Moths of Eastern North America describes this as being very similar to the banded tussock moth (H. tessellaris)but with a bluish green middorsal stripe on the thorax (shows ncely in your photo). You are north of the range listed in Covell however- IIRC you are in Georgia and cinctipes is from central and south Florida. I hate it when they don’t read the guide books.

Comment #41243

Posted by PvM on August 4, 2005 11:16 AM (e)

Yes, DougT, Banded Tussock Moth - Halysidota tessellaris See
at http://bugguide.net/node/view/9936

Comment #41245

Posted by Algerine on August 4, 2005 11:24 AM (e)

That’s Laurie. I dated her a few times in college. Nice girl, but really shy. Preferred to blend into the background. But, like I said, nice girl.

It’s good to see she’s added a little color to her wardrobe.

Comment #41255

Posted by Dave S. on August 4, 2005 12:40 PM (e)

Yep, looks like the banded tussock moth she be. Here’s a photo of the caterpillar stage of this very attractive little beastie.

Comment #41260

Posted by DougT on August 4, 2005 2:06 PM (e)

PvM:

Interesting. BugGuide shows tessellaris as having the blue markings, and the photo is from North Carolina. Covell lists the blue markings as being characteristic of the Florida species and distinct from tessellaris. I’m guessing that the problem arises out of the use of museum specimens- that kind of color is notoriously fugitive in preserved material. Both the BugGuide photo and Reed’s show the feature nicely.

Comment #41271

Posted by Z.W. Dickason on August 4, 2005 3:47 PM (e)

[sarcasofont on]

I get really tired of everyone using this godless method of comparative analysis to determine the species of an animal. I opt that because we cannot truely ( T ) know what anything is, that we should not bother guessing and acting as fools in the face of the Almighty. God knows what this moth is, shouldn’t that be enough?

[sarcasofont off]

Comment #41298

Posted by Gary Hurd on August 4, 2005 6:37 PM (e)

Judging from private reports of the various Howlerfests during his march (?) through North America, he may well be a significant source of the bottles those poor deluded bugs are trying to mate with.

RBH

Was the word you were looking for “stagger” rather than “walk?”

Comment #41332

Posted by Nick (Matzke) on August 4, 2005 11:24 PM (e)

And it’s still a moth!

Indeed. There’s nothing “fundamentally new” about this moth, so who cares what species it is? All moths are probably the same “kind.”

Note: This comment was composed using “creationist logic.”