Maybe I should change my name to “Born Again Moth Watcher.” While the bird watching has been good this past week in Snowbird at the ABA convention, the moth watching has been superb. As I was having lunch this very afternoon I spotted this exquisite One-eyed Sphinx moth, Smerinthus cerisyi, resting on a nearby concrete pillar.
My good friend Joshua, with whom I was dining, was not at all surprised at my complete distraction by this moth. The hostess, who had been seeing the moth on the patio outside the restaurant for the past few days, was a little more perplexed at how anyone could be so fascinated by this creature that she admitted was making her a bit uneasy (like many I’ve met who give voice to a fear of moths, she mentioned The Silence of the Lambs, perhaps the single worst bit of public relations moths have ever had).
Such is the effect moths seem to have on some people. I did everything I could to explain the creature’s life history to her, reassure her that it was not in the least potentially harmful or dangerous to her, and in the end I think that perhaps I was able to replace a little of her fear with some of the over-flowing fascination I possess in seeing such a marvelous member of the Lepidoptera.
Peace and good moth watching.
