3:00 snapshot #1027

I don't like to toot my own horn, but because of me the toilet in the basement works again.

100 More Species #35: Discolored Renia moth

Discolored Renia moth Renia discoloralis (Tentative identification by Jenn Forman Orth)

I have to admit right out the gate, there's vastly more information that I DON'T know about this moth than what I do know. "Renia" means queen, and comparing photos this species doesn't seem any more discolored than any other in the genus, nor do any of them seem especially regal. Scientific names sometimes reflect whims of the namers rather than any helpful information. I'd like to know why this Genus has the triangular form of a stealth bomber while other moths hold their wings closer to their bodies like a drooped cloak.

The Renias belong to a group of moths called "litter moths," because their caterpillars live in and feed on leaf litter. Depending on the species the larva might feed on recently fallen leaves or leaves that have been partially digested by fungi. The group is relatively limited in diversity but very common.