Canon PowerShot S100
ƒ/5
20.894 mm
1/60
80
a delightful ambassador in ruffled finery.
Does someone know the species, with single quote marks on the 4″ wing…?
7 responses to “Iridescent Moth”
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[http://www.flickr.com/photos/pury] — thanks! So the white V-band identifies her as a female. From the immense size, shape and flying pattern, I thought it was a bat until I got close enough for a macro. Here is the interesting back story on this visitor from that wikipedia link:
"The noctuid moth Ascalapha odorata bears the common name Black Witch. It is considered a harbinger of death in Mexican and Caribbean folklore. In Spanish it is known as "Mariposa de la muerte"
But the propagation of this myth across the islands reveals a certain adaptation to local culture and casinos….
"In many cultures, one of these moths flying into the house is considered bad luck: e.g., in Mexico, when there is sickness in a house and this moth enters, it is believed the sick person will die, though a variation on this theme is that death only occurs if the moth flies in and visits all four corners of one’s house (in Mesoamerica, from the prehispanic era until the present time, moths have been associated with death and the number four).
In Jamaica, under the name duppy bat, the moth is seen as the embodiment of a lost soul or a soul not at rest. In Jamaican English, the word duppy is associated with malevolent spirits returning to inflict harm upon the living
In Hawaii, Black Witch mythology, though associated with death, has a happier note in that if a loved one has just died, the moth is an embodiment of the person’s soul returning to say goodbye. On Cat Island, Bahamas, where they are locally known as Money Moths or Moneybats, the legend is that if they land on you, you will come into money, and similarly, in South Texas, if a Black Witch lands above your door and stays there for a while you will supposedly win the lottery."
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Hi there! Just wanted to let you know I used this great photo on the Peterson Field Guides Facebook page today (with attribution). Thanks for making it available through Creative Commons!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Peterson-Field-Guides/109873205706858
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