Moths at the lights

A Harnessed Tiger Moth, Apantesis phalerata, flutters around one of my night lights. I'm sure that you've got moths visiting your lights, too. Be careful; they become addictive! I found myself going outside frequently to see what might have dropped in, and snapping photos of the scaly-winged visitors. My neighbor popped over last night, wondering what I was doing. Can't blame her - from afar, it looks like I'm staring at the walls, and occasionally lighting the place up with camera flash. So I told her, and I think she thinks I am weird. Possibly, but once you start really looking at moths, and studying their often subtle beauty, the desire to see more of them grows.

Following is a pictorial checklist of just a sampling of the species that I've seen either here at my house in Columbus, or during one night last weekend at a cabin in Jackson County. No special effort was made to lure them; these all just came into the regular porch lights.