These are the beetles that keep banging on our windows every night during the summer until we turn off our inside lights. By far, the most abundant creature of the night – a May Beetle, Diplotaxis sp. As always, if you see an error, please let me know in the comments. I have done my best to identify using the two apps I mentioned, plus corroborating with various field guides. Most are fairly small (except where noted) and photos are taken with a 100mm macro lens. Here is a sampling of our tally for the night. A few tend to fly in and bounce around, never settling for very long as you desperately try to get a photo for identification. This set-up brings in many species of moths as well as other night-flying insects. Many species tend to come in and just sit on the sheet, making them easy to observe. then we go out periodically to see what has been attracted to the light. We set them outside, next to a suspended white sheet, one on the front porch, one on the back deck. We have a couple of inexpensive black lights that project light in the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum. Some of my favorites include: Peterson Feld Guide to Moths of Southeastern North America BugGuide ( ) North Carolina Biodiversity Project ( ) and two free apps – Leps by Fieldguide and Seek by iNaturalist. And, don’t forget, you can still enjoy the beauty and wonder of these members of the neighborhood night shift even if you can’t find them in a field guide. Though they can often be challenging to identify to species, there are now several great resources for moth enthusiasts. Compare that to the 2962 species (and counting) of moths we have. In North Carolina, 177 species of butterflies have been recorded. And many moths have a “hairy” looking body, whereas a butterfly’s body tends to be leaner and smoother. Moth antennae are either tapered or feathered in shape whereas butterflies have knobs or hooks at the tips of theirs. Most moths fly at night (we do have some common day-flying moths in our area, like the Hummingbird Clearwing). Moths are insects, related to butterflies, but they differ from their better-known cousins in many respects. It is a simple thing that anyone can do, and it opens up a new world of biodiversity and beauty right in your own backyard. This week is National Moth Week, where thousands of people around the world are out looking at our nocturnal neighbors. So, we did find the time and energy to have a few friends over this past weekend for our annual moth night. ![]() Everybody has a light which they think they cannot live without.Ī bit of a deep starting quote perhaps, but, with all that is happening right now in our world, I realize even more now that, for both Melissa and I, nature is the light that we cannot live without. Meanwhile the rest of my shop will be 10% off.There are moths outside, ready to die for a light they crave but which is denied to them, … Sometimes, in the midst of all I have been given, I watch the moths in us all. And to celebrate, all other flying animals will be 20% off. Meanwhile the embroidery will be 50% off. To celebrate the launch, the new pattern will be 30% off from now through the 2nd of March. The small wings are intended to fit 4″ x 4″ hoops and the large wings fit 5″ x 7″ hoops. But if you have an embroidery machine you can purchase the embroidery files separately. And even though I wouldn’t mind doing a dedicated Mothman pattern in the future (show your support on my pattern poll!), it would have been silly not let him have a cameo here □Īs usual, the pattern comes with applique templates for the eyes and other details like all the wing designs. The moths look especially cute when combined with fluffy long-pile minky for their bodies and necks. So all in all you have a lot of choices depending on how much time you want to invest. ![]() ![]() Or if you pick the rosy maple moth, there’s no wing applique or embroidery needed at all since it’s just blocks of color. Those will require a lot of applique or embroidery. The small wings stay upright fairly nicely without any support, while the large wings will be floppy unless you add in some wire.įor the wing designs, you can choose a species with lots of markings like the luna moth or monarch butterfly. For the wings, you have your choice of either small wings for a sweet and simple plush, or large wings for a more epic version. Each version has a cute round head with tiny arms and legs. The pattern goes over how to make a very simple bug body, but you have your choice of a classic flying pose or a standing pose. ![]() I’ve had a handful of requests for various moth & butterfly species over the years, and they’ve gradually ramped up until they eventually ended up on my pattern poll! Species such as a luna moth, rosy maple moth, and Venezuelan poodle moth came up a lot and you’ll find them in this set! I’ve got a new plush pattern I’ve added to my shop!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |