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Have You Ever Seen Such A Beautiful Moth?

bernieh

By bernieh

22 comments


Yes, I said Moth!

I spotted this lovely creature in the garden just the other day. I promptly went off googling ‘butterflies’ and couldn’t come up with a match. Thankfully my hubbie suggested it might be a moth … and voila! I found out it’s a North Queensland Day Moth.

I’ve never heard of it or see one before but apparently it’s Alcides metaurus, a large day-time flying moth that is native to my part of the Australian state of Queensland.

It was a bit of a dull day so all it’s wonderful colours didn’t show up in these shots, but you do get a sense of the pretty blue on its wings. It’s just such a lovely thing that I found it hard to believe it’s a moth.

The gorgeous colours, the pretty scalloped wing edges, the size … all these things had me thinking the wrong thing! Apparently day-flying moths are the most colourful moths and often thought to be butterflies!

Here’s a link to a blog post of mine with some more shots of this beautiful creature -

A Touch Of Blue

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Comments

 

Very nice! I agree with you, I wouldn't have thought it was a moth either.

8 Sep, 2011

 

Lovely! I, too, had the moth/butterfly debate with myself, seeking through books and Googling, until I found the orange 'butterfly' with black wing edges was in fact a day-flying moth. :o)

8 Sep, 2011

 

Thanks Lilcrawford, Nariz and Homebird ... you're just never too old to learn something new! I've been living here forever and this is the first time I've heard of this day-flying moth!!

8 Sep, 2011

bjs
Bjs
 

Beautiful pictures lovey creature,thanks for showing.

8 Sep, 2011

 

Its a beauty Bernieh, well caught, I'd have thought butterfly too :-)

8 Sep, 2011

 

good gracious what a beautiful creature Bernieh!

8 Sep, 2011

 

Excellent photos there Bernieh, gorgeous moth.

8 Sep, 2011

 

Bjs, Simbad, Pamg and Cinderella, thank you. It really is a gorgeous thing. I only wish it hadn't been such an overcast day so the colours would have shown up better in the photos. I'll be keeping my eye out for another!

8 Sep, 2011

 

What a lovely little creature..it's funny how we always think of Butterflies,when they have such lovely markings and colour..The little moths are fighting back,it seems,and getting credit in their own right..I will stop and think ,next time I see one..:o)

8 Sep, 2011

 

Hi Bloomer. Apparently the day-flying moths are not as well studied. The scientists have been out and about at night, for obvious reasons. One thing I did find out though was that the day-flying moths all have the most wonderful colours.

8 Sep, 2011

 

I can see the reasoning behind that,Bernieh..but nice to know we may get to learn more,about the daytime ones..:o)

8 Sep, 2011

 

that is beautiful, well photo'd too..

8 Sep, 2011

 

what a lovely shape, and colour ~ beautiful.

8 Sep, 2011

 

Its gorgeous Bernieh and I would have thought butterfly if seeing it, especially in the daytime, I`m petrified of moths, always have been, completely irrational because I love butterflies..
Lovely photo`s, thankyou for sharing....

8 Sep, 2011

 

If we saw more moths like this in the daytime,Lincslass,you would probably be ok..I'm not keen on them fluttering in my face in the evening..

8 Sep, 2011

 

what a wonderful thing, but then never have understood the difference or why one is so loved while the other so hated!
I sat in my garden thinking about the ivy and weather it was time to cut it down when I became aware of movement over it and realised I was staring at 9 red admiral's without really seeing them. Guess I wont be cutting it just yet!
sue

8 Sep, 2011

 

Gorgeous! And it is so difficult to photograph them as they usually fly off just as you get there with the camera.
this one is a real beauty.
Sandygirl, I think people only dislike moths when they are in the house? If you want to know the difference, there are several: the easiest to spot is that butterflies have little knobs on the ends of their antennae, whereas moths can have varied antennae, often with little hairs or bristles on them. Butterflies rest with their wings folded vertically above the body whereas moths more usually have them folded flat. Moths often have contrasting hind wings which are only visible in flight. Many moths are just as beautiful as butterflies and some moths are more beautiful than some butterfies - compare a rosy underwing with a woodland brown for example.

8 Sep, 2011

 

Thank you Surreylad, Stickitoffee, Lincslass, Sandygirl and Steragram.

Lincslass, now you know there's some gorgeous looking moths out there, you might not be so afraid of them. I do know some of them look rather menacing.

Sandygirl, I think the Ivy deserves to stay if it's attracting such gorgeous butterflies.

Steragram, thanks for the info on the differences. I'm afraid I was rather in the dark about these facts.

10 Sep, 2011

 

Sorry if I was preachy - got a bit carried away!

10 Sep, 2011

 

What a beautiful Moth ... wonderful pics ... thanks for sharing them ... :o)))

10 Sep, 2011

 

Not preachy, Steragram. You added some very interesting facts.

Shirly, it is indeed a lovely thing and thankfully I was able to get some decent shots.

10 Sep, 2011

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