The Odd Moth-like Insect - Entomology Post #1
The Odd Moth-like Insect - Entomology Post #1
By Anna Kay Thomas
Before writing this, I looked at my dresser and all the things I have collected that sit on top of it. A landscape I had painted, rocks and seashells that I had been given, feathers I’ve gathered, a tiny turtle-less red-eared slider turtle shell that I had found, and my first insect specimen. As I looked at the specimen, I realized that I hadn’t yet written about many insects, so here is my story:
I had seen one of these insects for the first time in Southern Oklahoma at around 2:00 PM, on October 7th, 2024. I couldn't make a positive identification, but still recorded the encounter in my field journal, hoping to revisit it. In my account of the day, I described its appearance as "An odd moth-like insect that flew in a flash of red and orange but settled serenely with its wings decorated in a light brown, symmetrical web-like pattern on a black background. No matter how close I got, it wouldn’t fly [again], only crawled a bit. I’ve never seen anything like it". It wasn't intimidated by my inspection in the least.
On October 23rd of that same year, I received a specimen in the mail from a mentor who had found it (already expired) on her property and thought of me, not knowing I was trying to solve this mystery. With the specimen, I was able to identify the "odd moth-like insect" as a Parthenice Tiger Moth.
Primarily nocturnal, Parthenice Tiger Moths do come out to enjoy the sun occasionally when it is really bright out. They are native to North America and can commonly be found in fields and wooded areas from May into October. The larvae eat their host plants of dandelion, ironweed, and thistle, while adults have a diet of nectar. Both larvae and adults are toxic, causing irritation if handled or consumed. The bold orange, red, and pink colors on the hindwings of adults are used to warn their predators that they aren’t a healthy snack. Adults have a lengthy lifespan of 5 to 10 days and have a hearing organ called a “tympanum” that vibrates when met with sound waves.
Its scientific name, “apantesis parthenice”, roughly means “to meet a maiden” while its common name describes its tiger-like appearance with orange and black markings. Truly a beautiful creature and one I love to look at every day. Wishing you the best on your environmental trek!
Reflective Question:
If you were the first to give a species name to the Parthenice Tiger Moth, what would you have called it?
If you kept a field journal, what creatures would you report the most sightings of in your area?
What creatures would you get to report the least?
Photography by Anna Kay Thomas