280 days of Urbpandemonium #121
Aug. 1st, 2015 02:37 pm
One thing I have noticed about moths, is that in flight they often look like boring gray or tan blurs, but they bear beautiful patterns when still. In this case, Panthea furcilla*, the pattern is a tree bark camouflage. The larva of this moth feeds on the needles of pines, spruces, and other conifers.
*Panthea is from Greek, meaning "of all gods" or something to that effect. Furcilla = "little fork," doubtlessly referring to a feature that only an entomologist could detect or appreciate.