Ruby Tiger Moth
Phragmatobia fuliginosa
I am not positive about this identification, but based on what I looked at on the Moth Photographers Group website, this seems correct to me. I first noticed it crawling around in last years dead sedges, but once it realized I had noticed it, it stopped moving. I handled it a little bit as I was getting photos, and it never tried to fly, or really even move much.
Thanks to Ethan Kistler via bugguide.net for the help. I had originally thought this might be a Brown Tiger Moth, but Ruby Tiger Moth does seem to be a better fit.
Unidentified Insect:
I noticed this little creature crawling around on me after I had been pulling some weeds. I was mostly pulling grass, so that’s what I think it had been on prior to me. It is quite small, less than 1cm in length (actually, probably less than 5mm in length). The color and pattern was quite striking, so I decided to take some photos. Although it was capable of flying (and did so a couple of times while I was trying to take pictures), it did not seem inclined to fly much. It preferred walking. Even after sitting in the refrigerator for awhile, it was still moving (quickly for its size) and rarely stopped. It was so small that I was using the 1-5x macro lens which does not have automatic focus, so I found it quite challenging. One thing I noticed when looking at the pictures is the particularly long protrusion from it’s mouth area. This can be seen in the large photo above, but is best seen in the photo where the insect appears to be cleaning its antenna (click on thumbnail below).
I have no idea what this insect is, so I’ve submitted it to bugguide.net with hope of help.
Geometer Moth
Hydriomena irata
My daughter Rowan spotted this moth on the side of an alder tree. Originally it stood out a little bit as it had chosen a section of trunk covered in green bryophytes. It ended up flying down to a darker patch of bark, where I took this picture of it. According to a Canadian Government Forestry Related site, this species would utilize Western Hemlock and Sitka Spruce in its larval stage.
I will definitely be soliciting help with most invertebrates I might happen to find. In this case, in the one book I have of Pacific Northwest insects, the closest match I find is the moth with the genus I’ve tentatively given. This is probably incorrect, and I will be uploading a photo to bugguide.net in hopes that someone who is a fan of moths will be able to offer some help. At such time as I get a better identification, I will update this entry.
Thanks to Bob Patterson via bugguide.net for the help with identification of this moth.
