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Eye-Spotted Bud Moth

Spilonota ocellana

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49.2601, -122.512

Field Notes

Description:

1/4 inch long, two-tone brown and beige, speckled dots. Dark eyes. Fairly short antennae. This moth seems to be imitating bird droppings for camouflage.

Habitat:

Pacific Westcoast temperate rainforest. Attracted to light on a sheet at the edge of a blueberry field and garden, with a scrub field behind it.

Notes:

I wasn't even sure this was a moth at first because of its small size and habit of sitting with its wings totally tight to its body, looking like a tube.
Here is a link to some photos of this moth:
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=2906

Reference Links:

Eye-spotted Bud Moth - Spilonota ocellana - BugGuide.Net

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (7)
KathleenMcEachern
Yes, time is the issue! Thanks, I am just getting into it and find the array of possibilities daunting! I am starting to figure out Bug Guide and it is very interesting. Just need more time!
ForestDragon
Kathleen, I would be happy to take a look through your spottings when I have some time. :)
KathleenMcEachern
Yes Telse, it most certainly is now that I looked at the page recommended by ForestDragon. Cool!
KathleenMcEachern
Thanks, ForestDragon! You are most certainly right! I love it when the pictures and the information fit the spotting exactly. Appreciate your help. Do you recognize any more of my unknown moths?
ForestDragon
Maybe this one: Eye-spotted Moth, Spilonota ocellana: http://bugguide.net/node/view/119650 http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=2906
ForestDragon
Kathleen, nice find! This is most certainly a moth. :-) This little moth is most likely a Tortricid moth, Family Tortricidae. It's a large family. Yours has coloration to mimic bird droppings (which many of them do). http://bugguide.net/node/view/9524/bgpage Hope this helps!

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Moths and Butterflies of the Pacific Northwest

Tags

Photographed
PublishedJuly 29, 2013

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