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Melittia cucurbitae, (Harris, 1828)
It is a small day-flying moth in the family (Sessidae). The moth has black antennae with white spots on each antennae. the thorax is blueish green while the eyes are orange with black spots. The abdomen is also orange with black spots running down the length. The wings are green and blue like the thorax. The two front sets of legs are black with white stripes while the back set of legs are hairy and orange. This one was a female about to lay eggs. The hindwings are transparent with black veins.
Suburban, Fort Worth, Texas.
It is native to North America. It lives in most temperate North American states, except the Pacific coast. It was found sitting around 8:30 A.M. The moths are most active during late morning hours. This species tries mimicking venomous species, but is completely harmless.
Spotted on Aug 13, 2020
Submitted on Aug 15, 2020
2 Comments
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