The furriest insect that I've ever seen

[William H.]

My brother found a cocoon on his car tire a while ago and the inhabitant just recently emerged as a Cecropia Moth, the largest moth in North America.

I took some close-ups of it, but wasn't overly happy with the results, I would have liked to get a better shot of its face but it was partially hidden by its legs.

As always, please hit your F11 key for better viewing.


http://img27.photobucket.com/albums/v80/harnett65/cecropia.jpg


http://img27.photobucket.com/albums/v80/harnett65/cecropia2.jpg


http://img27.photobucket.com/albums/v80/harnett65/cecropia3.jpg

[davidhorman]

You're not happy with those shots?! They're fantastic!

I'd take a photo of the furry bugs I've been seeing lately, but they move so fast I prefer to squish first and ask questions later :(

David

[sorgoth]

That's so cool!

I want one.

[William H.]

Originally posted by davidhorman
You're not happy with those shots?! They're fantastic!



Thanks, I guess I'm happy with them but I really wanted a good face shot. I would have liked to see the antennas under a microscope, but I was glad when he set it free.

[garys_2k]

Very nice. We "hatched" a Cecropia moth some years ago, amazing and beautiful.

[LucyR]

Those are f**king beautiful!

Well done.

[T'ai Chi]

Wow! Amazing animal.

I wonder why its coloring is like that?

[Tricky]

Very beautiful pics. But as for furriness, nothing can top the Velvet Ant (actually a wingless wasp). I caught one years ago and luckily didn't try to handle it. Unluckily, I didn't get a picture, so you'll have to do with this link.
http://www.nmpest.com/images/VelvetAnt.JPG

[espritch]

Where I grew up, we called velvet wasps "cow killers". I don't know if their sting is actually that bad, but given the name, I never really tried to find out. ;)

The cecropia pics are very cool. A lady at my office found one of those one time. She thought it was dead and brought it in because she was going to take it home to show her kids. Turned out is wasn't quite as dead as she thought and it starting flying around the office. They are truely amazing critters. We had another one that had just emerged drying it's wings on the side of the office a couple of days ago but I didn't have my camera handy so I didn't get a picture of it.