Tiger Moth

Beautiful moth! Well done.

Wow! That is beautiful.

Wow, gorgeous moth!

Congratulations Cynthia, your tiger moth has been chosen to illustrate our fact of the day for National Moth Week 2017: National Moth Week 2017 continues! Thanks to all of you who continue to submit moths spottings: we now have contributions from 6 continents! In honor of this year’s focus on tiger moths, Project Noah ranger, National Moth Week organizer and Cornell University entomology student Jacob Gorneau is bringing us daily interesting facts about tiger moths (Erebidae: Arctiinae): "Many tiger moth species are generalists rather than specialists, which means they are able to feed on a variety of plant species. A study (Singer et al. 2004) conducted on the tiger moth Grammia incorrupta provided a possible motivation for generalized feeding rather than specialized feeding. While specialized feeding may result in faster growth, it increases the level of mortality due to parasitoids. By eating a wide variety of plants with multiple toxins, growth is reduced, but the mortality due to parasitoids is reduced as well, as the parasitoids must also combat these toxins". Read more about trade-offs between specialization and parasitization threat in the paper cited above here: http://buff.ly/2eSI8IG Tiger Moth (Grammia incorrupta) spotted in Utah, USA, by Cynthia M Hori http://buff.ly/2eSbk2h National Moth Week is from July 22-30. Are you participating? Please register a public or private event here: http://buff.ly/2eSIa3g, especially if your country or region isn't on the map yet! Don't forget to submit photos of moths you spot here! http://buff.ly/2eSIaAi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/projectnoah/photos/pb.10150120463815603.-2207520000.1501196852./10159127053375603/?type=3&theater Twitter: https://twitter.com/projectnoah/status/890710798389186561