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June 29, 2021
It's time for another edition of #BenInNature presented by our friends at Carter Bank & Trust!
I'm always excited to see interesting moths show up to my porch, and Darapsa myron, the Virginia creeper sphinx, is an excellent example!
As the name suggests, the larvae of these large moths feed on Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), peppervine, and grape vines. The caterpillars hide amongst the vines during the day and come out to feed on the leaves at night. The adults, meanwhile, feed on flower nectar and juices from rotting fruit, although like many moths, the adults sometimes don't feed at all.
These moths are fairly common in the eastern half of the U.S., and in large parts of their range, they'll have two or three broods per year between March and September.
ABOUT #BenInNature
Social distancing can be difficult, but it presents a great opportunity to become reacquainted with nature. In this series of posts, Administrator of Science Ben Williams ventures outdoors to record a snapshot of the unique sights that can be found in the natural world. New updates are posted Monday - Friday, with previous posts highlighted on the weekends. This series of posts is made possible thanks to the support of VMNH Corporate Partner Carter Bank & Trust (www.cbtcares.com).
NATURE PHOTO IDENTIFICATIONS
If you discover something in nature that you would like help identifying, be sure to message us right here on Facebook with a picture (please include location and date of picture) and we'll have our experts help you identify it!
