Theo van Daele wrote:
I wanted to pick up this little twig the other day, but it moved... it
turned out to be a butterfly/moth.

Never seen something like this before, and I'm not sure it's native.
Perhaps it escaped from a house somewhere ?

Nature at it's best eh :-)

(250 Kb download, but worth it I think ! )

http://www.wide-o.net/summerpond2003/critter.jpg




Great photo!

--
Bonnie
NJ
http://home.earthlink.net/~maebe43/

Theo van Daele wrote:
I wanted to pick up this little twig the other day, but it moved... it
turned out to be a butterfly/moth.

(250 Kb download, but worth it I think ! )

http://www.wide-o.net/summerpond2003/critter.jpg

You might want to check with some lepidoterists or lepi online sites.
Look at http://www.ukmoths.force9.co.uk/ or send an email to Iam Kimber
at
Or look at
http://www.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life...Photolist.html

Great photo!! It's so clear, an expert shouldn't have trouble
identifying it. You might also try local butterfly / moth organizations
or a local college.
--
Kathy B, zookeeper

Theo van Daele wrote:
Thanks ANO !

Your link put me on to another website, I bluntly mailed the owner, and he
came up with the right name straight away, even though he/she is only
specialized into Canadian moths...

http://www.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life...sia/noctuoidea
/notodontidae/phalerinae/phalera/

Phalera bucephala it is...

And yes, that's a member of the Noctuoidea/Notodontidae ! :-)

Here's another picture of the moth at the UK site; the color is a little
closer to your picture.

http://cgi.ukmoths.force9.co.uk/show.php?sid=19940

This is such an amazingly camouflaged insect!! Gotta love the Internet
and all its contributors!
--
Kathy B

Theo van Daele wrote:

It can indeed be a great resource :-) A friend of mine just mailed me
about the name ...

"Bucephalus was the favourite warhorse of Alexander the Great, the one he
made a senator......"

Now I'm gonna forget about moths as soon as possible, I don't want another
hobby, I really *don't* want another hobby, I really... oh bugger ;-)

What a great bit of info to share about Bucephalus! I wondered why that
name seemed familiar (shades of Western Civilization class, freshman
college).

As far as another hobby goes, I seem to find them almost daily during
surfing expeditions for more information on any of my current interests.
To me the Internet is like a large library, but with a much more
personal touch. Although it does require much more skepticism than a
library, but often has better up to date information to make up for it.
--
Kathy B