The Entertaining World of Moth Names!

  There is one thing that you can be assured of when you live on a bayou.  We have bugs.  Lots of bugs.  We have the usual pretty insects like butterflies and moths, the pesky types such as aphids and roaches and we have the biting sorts like mosquitoes (tons and tons of those), gnats and deer flies.  We just have bugs.  In fact, we probably have a lot more than most folks as the water gives many a perfect place to breed.  Sometimes, it is just not fun being outside with the critters.

  This morning as I was out in the gardens, a moth caught my eye.  The moth was catching some sun rays on the old sundial that sits in the middle of the garden.  Even though I was working in this area, the moth insisted that the dial was its roost.  If I got too close, the critter would take flight only to come right back to rest on the sundial. I figured this was one of the adults that came from the billion or so caterpillars that ate every plant in sight for a while earlier this spring.  That caused me to do a bit of research.  Luckily for the moth, I was wrong.  The caterpillars from this one eat tickweed and not tomatoes.  Whew. This moth was called a Hoary Edged Skipper.

  While studying the different moths around here, I became amused at some of the names.  Then a question...why cannot I find any of the amusingly named moths?  The name of my moth was cute but not near as entertaining as some of the others.  There were moths with names such as Abbreviated Button Slug Moth, Attentive Crocus Moth, Baltimore Snout Moth and Bold Medicine Moth!  I went on to find Confused Woodgrain Moth, Decorated Owlet Moth, Fingered Dagger Moth and Harnessed Tiger Moth.  The list went on with the Io Moth (cool name and story), Mournful Thryis Moth, Old Wife Underwing Moth and a Pink Spotted Dart Moth. The names kept getting better and better!  There was a Polka Dotted Wasp Moth, an Orange Patched Smokey Moth, a Sleepy Orange Sulfur Moth and a Somber Carpet Moth.  Giggling the whole time, I found the Badwing Moth, the Joker Moth, the Beggar Moth, the Scribbler Moth and the Wedgeling Moth. Those sounded like they could have been characters from a superhero cartoon!  

  The fact that there are some pretty amusing names given to bugs makes me realize that our entomologists must all have a great sense of humor.  How else do you come up with these names?  It is easy to understand the naming of the Luna Moth but a Promiscuous Angle Moth???  Hmmm??  Really now??  This all makes me want to check the beetles next!  Who knows what fanciful names they may have!