A favorite returned to the blacklights

And it is also the first adult representatives of the family Saturniidae, or the Giant Silkworm and Royal Moths' family. for the year..... for us.

Syssphinx hubbardi - Hubbard's Small Silkmoth

This beautiful southwestern "Saturniid" made its first freshly adult-staged appearance at the blacklights last night; well, early this morning actually.

This species' larvae feed on Wright's Acacia, Catclaw Acacia, and mequite.  Some of those great plants that cause us to wear long sleeves and pants out here.



This species generally ranges from western TX to AZ and extreme SE California.  Below is a map from Moth Photographer's Group.




In these first photos we can tell the individual is a male, the fan-antennae (all the better to detect pheromones with) giving that away.




It seems one is out of view in that photo above.

A second Hubbard's Small Silkmoth was discovered on the "moth wall" soon there after by Heidi.



She (hopefully a female) was higher up on the wall and these photos don't show a view of the antennae.
She'll have plenty of mesquite and acacia spp out back to deposit eggs upon.  We've no shortage of that.




You may recall this species and its larvae from last year.  Click on this link.