northeast-flora-and-fauna

Here's another moth I met at the Duke Farms mothing event: the Ailanthus Webworm Moth . Despite the nighttime event where this fella showed up, you can frequently see them in broad daylight too. In fact, that's when I usually see them. There are (at least) 2 interesting things about these moths. First, they don't look much like moths. With their wings held close to their bodies, they could easily pass for some sort of beetle. You might think they look more like moths when they fly, but I'm told they look more like wasps when in flight. The 2nd interesting thing about them is the Ailanthus Webworm Moth wasn't originally from around here; they were originally from southern Florida to Costa Rica where they would (as caterpillars) eat Paradise Trees (or a related tree that will remain nameless ). Because this was where their food was, this is where these moths would hang out. In 1784 though something happened that would eventually (though not immediately) allow them to...