First of all, an update on the plates- we have 366 applications collected and need 84 before the end of the year. Yay! That's about 14 applications a month needed by the end of December. So if you know someone in VA who loves pollinators, please tell them about this initiative to get them represented in the wonderful world of wildlife license plates!
Ok, back to the Pollinator Week excitement!
I have a few different kinds of milkweed in my yard: Common milkweed, swamp milkweed, and butterfly weed. Occasionally at random times during the day, I grab my camera and do a lap around my yard to see what I see. The first plants I check are the milkweeds, because they're the "water cooler" for insects in our garden. Everyone stops by to hang out for a little while.
On this particular day, I noticed a wasp crawling around on the common milkweed. I moved in closer to get a better look at it.
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| Wow... looks intimidating! And check out the little bee friend up at the top of the photo! |
But then the wasp paused for a rest, and something about it seemed.... off.
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| "Ho, ho, ho... who's this? How's it goin'?" That's the first thing I say to you..... |
Those look a lot like waspy wings. And the rear end looks waspy as well. But the thick thorax, the fuzzy legs..... Hmmm....
I went around to the other side of the plant to get a look at his face.
The face sealed the deal for me that this wasn't a wasp, but WAS a lepidopteran (moths and butterflies). Do you see the coiled up proboscis at the bottom of the face? That was the clincher.
I've seen lots of pictures in my insect field guides of moths mimicking wasps, but haven't ever noticed one in person- probably because for a long time I never thought to look twice.
One of the other neat things I had learned earlier during Pollinator Week was that wasps aren't all evil or aggressive, and in fact, many of them are friendly and nice- as long as they're nectaring and you're not disturbing their nest, of course. Learning that for myself, from experience, was what made me take a second look at this critter at all- which I would normally have dismissed as a wasp and not wanted to venture too closely, so I'm glad I stopped to check it out.
Knowing it's a moth and not a wasp is cool and all, but I did a little bit of research and found out that it's a Squash (Vine) Borer Moth, or, the adult form of the worm or caterpillar with the same name. I probably won't be raising any of these in my butterfly rearing cage, since it seems like I'd need an entire squash plant in there for them! But next time you think you're seeing a wasp... you might actually be looking at a very convincing moth in disguise ;)
