When I got up the other day, my cats were in a tizzy. They prowled the foyer, gazing upward, on alert.

A moth had gotten in.

You can find moths almost anywhere. They show up on your screen doors. They flutter around your porch lights. They sip nectar from flowers. They get trapped in spiders’ webs. At times they invade your closets – although of the tens of thousands of moth species that inhabit our planet, only two produce larvae that will eat your clothes.

Moths come in all shapes and shades and sizes. There are many more moth species than butterfly species, for reasons I’ll explain in the next blog.

Most (but not all) fly at night. Most (but not all) sport shades of brown

Many have gloriously feathery antennae.

Underwings can look quite drab.

Then they surprise potential predators with bright-colored lower wings.

Clearwings resemble tiny hummingbirds.

Big silk moths often sport deceptive markings that resemble eyes.

Moth caterpillars also delight. Tussocks parade in fantastically fuzzy coats.

Like many other moth caterpillars, Saddlebacks hang around in groups. Don’t let pretty colors and a furry look fool you, however. Many caterpillars harbor painful stings. Never touch an unfamiliar caterpillar.

Whenever you see a moth, look closely. While some may seem quite drab from a distance, they’re all covered in remarkable patterns.  

Nature never ceases to amaze.