Welcome to Colleen’s Corner. This is a column meant for fun and some information About myself: I am a Freelance Photographer you often see me on the side of the road or in various places taking photos of different things animals, birds, places, people etc. l have lived in Lumby for over 18 years, you have seen my photos in the newspaper (Lumby Valley Times) and once in awhile in the Vernon Morning Star, and the Lumby Art Gallery. Photography is my passion. Disclaimer: The information on some of my photos that I write about a lot of times come from the Internet or books I research them, hopefully the facts are as close to the truth as I can come.
By Colleen Fielding
I was out in my yard the other day and on the wall was this very large moth. This one is called a “Blinded Sphinx Moth”. It was a different looking moth, I have some photos from before of Sphinx Moths, they were a different colour. This one has brown wings that look scalloped with blue spots that look like eyes without pupils when his hind-wings opened, I wasn’t able to get that photo as it only opened them briefly and closed them again before the shot happened. Its hindwings when opened also have an area of bright pink near his body. When it is still it will hide its under colours and eyes, so that it blends easier into bark or leaves. When its wings are open and the eyes are showing this helps to protect them from predators.
The adults are only alive to mate, they never eat. The blinded sphinx moth can be found across Canada and the United States, they like deciduous forests, woodland areas, shrubs, and my yard.
When they are in caterpillar form their colours range from green to yellow green with white speckles, and horn that is curved on its rear. I do remember seeing a caterpillar like that in my yard.
Their wingspan is large compared to butterflies and other moths, about 2.2 -3.7 inches.
The trees and plants they use as hosts are birch, willow, cherry, poplar, basswood, hawthorn, oaks, and ocean spray. They will burrow themselves in soil, or leaf litter over winter.
Their flight season is from May – September, you are most likely to see them hanging around in June and July in BC.
Like most moths they are nocturnal and love your lights.
If you see them in your yard don’t worry they won’t hurt you or your garden, when in caterpillar form they might nibble on some leaves and shrubs slowly but they are never aggressive eaters they are solitary and do not group with large numbers, and they don’t eat vegetables or your fruit crop. These caterpillars and moths can help your garden and they will provide food for the birds. Although the adult moths don’t eat, they are nighttime pollinators landing on your flowers, and help to provide a healthy forest and a garden ecosystem.
So, if you find them in your yard, leave them alone and they will help your garden.
