Nature Watch: Clymene Moth’s Unique Pattern

We’ve seen them before: cream-colored moths with dark outlines and the shape of what we thought was a dagger in the center of the folded wings. The underwings are a yellowish orange with a dark spot, and when the wings are completely open, the effect of the pattern is lost.
When Helen Greer of Bristol, Va. found one, however, she thought the pattern looked like the shape of a heart with a silhouette of Jesus on the cross.
Known as “The Bug Lady” where she works as a security guard at The Grand Court retirement center, Greer often captures everything from centipedes to spiders, and photographs them with her phone, but she had never before seen any-thing like this.
She didn’t notice the moth’s unusual pattern until the second day she saw it. “For some reason, I didn’t capture it the first day,” she said. However, when she got another chance, she placed the insect in a cup. She considers the fact that she saw the moth two days in a row a sign. “I think it’s a sign from God that He’s watching over me and the residents,” she said.
“It’s my pride and joy to take it to work and show people,” Greer told us. “You wouldn’t believe the response . . . I showed it to one elderly lady, and I didn’t know if she was going to cry or have a heart attack.”
The moth, which later died, is now in a little frame which Greer intends to bring to work.
A truly lovely species, Clymene moths love the forests and nearby fields; they are, according to “Bug Guide” (http://bugguide.net), often scared out of hiding on sunny days or spotted near lights at night. The time to see this beauty are during the months of June through August; they are found throughout Eastern North America.
“Bug Guide” also tells us the Clymene caterpillar eats several types of plant, including oak and willow. View more pictures by searching for “Clymene moth” on Discover Life (http://www.discoverlife.org). The moths shown are spiky and black, with a bright yellow stripe running the length of each side; the stripes are broken by black spots or dashes. The adults have a wing span from 4 to 5.5 centimeters.

LEE AND J.J. MACFADDEN live in Bristol Tennessee and write about their experiences with Mother Nature and what they learned as a result of the encounters. Contact them at .