posted on Aug, 29 2010 @ 02:39 AM
One morning, last month, I opened my door to discover this giant moth on the wall just inches from my face.
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/d6dc1c0a4144.jpg[/atsimg]
I had never seen anything like it before. It was between 3-4 inches long and I would say that its wingspan must have been at least 8 inches. I reached
out to stroke its little furry head and was surprised that it felt so solid. It did not move and I thought maybe it was dead. I got a big jar and
scooped it up and it opened its wings for me so now cool I say, its NOT dead. I let it out of the jar on top of the shelves and it started crawling to
go back up the wall. It was kinda shaky and it wings were folded back against its body and were vibrating. So then I thought, well, maybe its dying?
It went back to its place on the wall and I took some pictures. It stayed on that spot for a day and the next morning it had moved higher up onto the
adjacent wall where it stayed for a week and then it was gone and I was sad. Maybe it heard me telling the neighbor that if was indeed dead then I was
going to pin it and it decided to get the heck out of the area heheh.
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/a1e17c4e9fd6.jpg[/atsimg]
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/2f10efcd40e8.jpg[/atsimg]
I did some research. It is a member of the Sphingidae (Sphinx Moth) Family and I am fairly sure it is Manduca sexta sexta aka The Carolina Sphinx or
Tobacco Hornworm. They love tobacco and tomatoes and we all grow tomatoes around here so this is what it probably is.
www.silkmoths.bizland.com...
Pictures from the site. My moths body looked like this.
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/987e9ae79485.jpg[/atsimg]
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/faaf7d69be0b.jpg[/atsimg]
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/6b8a4c4ef0f0.jpg[/atsimg]
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/1f14faabe8da.jpg[/atsimg]
Moths are very cool critters and I am glad this one blessed me with its presence for a little while. Although, when our tomato plants are stripped of
leaves I might feel differently
I hope you have enjoyed my little presentation