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Project Noah Nature School
Hypercompe sp.
Thanks Chris...Happy New Year to Lindsay and you! I invite you to join the 'Path of the Tapir' mission...I know you have some great shots of this area...
Yes, Costa Nut and Bayucca, it is a hypercompe sub species but the reference photos are all shriveled up with a pin through them...someday we will compile a resource with all living photos...like we are doing here on Project Noah!
I think Bayucca is right......http://www.boldsystems.org/views/taxbrowser.php?taxid=4306
Definitely a Hypercompe sp. and definitely not Hypercompe scribonia which is not found in Costa Rica. Might be Hypercompe icasia, but I am not sure.
Thank you all for your kind comments....My Tico friends tell me they have seen this moth further up in the mountain (1600 ft) with clear wings and same pattern...perhaps a new mutation of the Leopard moth or one we have yet to see...there is much we have not seen here...I have been taken to see and photograph petroglyphs that are hither to unknown except to the locals...
Ok, if you look carefully, the parts that apear white are those where there is circulation of blood, the others are pigmentless. I would put my money in the possibility of this to be an albino moth. But that is just because I'd love to see one...
Asergio, yes, moths, like most animals can have a mutation on any color allele. Albinism is a complete lack of pigment, but more common is a dilution of color, leucism, or a darkening of color, melanism.
Yeah, well it was just a suggestion Matthew. You saw it in the flesh, so to speak, so it's up to you to decide what fits what you saw. You could be right about it being a variant.
Not so sure, Lori...there was no wear and tear on the moth and the wings looked intact...with old age, perhaps their color would fade but not the patterns, would they? Could the clear wings be an anomaly caused by pesticides and defoliants used by the farmers here or, maybe, just a natural variation?
I'm going to suggest that this is simply an well-worn Giant leopard moth, whose wings have lost their scales: http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2009/06/22/g...
Sorry about the stolen camera, I always feel a little uneasy about mine left in the car, but try not to make it obvious outside the locked car.
Very cool. I hope they're still parading in 3 weeks when my family is down there!
Thanks Alice, I'm trying to get better with this point and shoot camera, while waiting for a new, more serious camera, due here in a couple of weeks from Orlando...hopefully, this next one won't get stolen...it seems like the wildlife knows I don't have my regular camera and are parading in front of me...sooo frustrating...
Spotted on Nov 27, 2011
Submitted on Nov 27, 2011
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